Juno
by Asher Hernan
Summary: Norma begins to see life in a new perspective when she let's Norman keep the short scruffy dog he named Juno, she finds life no longer daunting and that she is finally able to open up to change. When things begin to take a turn, she finds herself turning to Sheriff Romero for help, but is unable to tell him the truth of the dangers that are slowly harboring over her and him.
1. Juno

**Chapter 1: Juno**

* * *

White Pine Bay was filled with sunshine as the people of the town bustled about on their ways in and out and up and about. We find the setting on that of a young man with brushed hair and clothes ironed and tucked away in all the right places, classy, is the word for his dress wear and he wipes his hands on his light brown pants due to perspiration. His blue eyes look up at the sky before examining the motel that reads a blue sign reading BATES MOTEL and he slightly smiles at it thinking of his mother as he holds a piece of bread in his mouth.

"Can you fix the lattice underneath the porch before leaving?" She had told him before he got ready and headed for school.

Before he left of course, he went down to fix it and there he found a short scruffy dog that seemed cautious of him and he stood still before retrieving the bread from his mouth and handing it to the dog who still snipped at him.

"It's okay. It's okay." He comforted the dog before throwing the bread to him in an act of peace, the dog walked toward the bread and began to feast on it. Norman held a hammer in his hand as he motioned for the dog to come near him.

"Come here. Don't be afraid." He said as the dog just ran passed and he watched run off and smiled to himself as he walked back in the house quickly as his mother was still getting ready upstairs and prepared a small plate of leftovers last night for the dog. He heard his mother call his name and he quickly ran and placed the small plate boy the front door outside and ran for the bus stop before deciding to just walk to school while pulling his messenger bag over his shoulder.

* * *

Norman got to school and stared about at all the kids his age before his eyes fell on Bradley Martin, he held a small smile, he felt so much affection towards her after remembering the night they had a few weeks ago, he walked up to her smirking to himself.

"Hey Norman." Bradley greeted as her little friends beside her gave Norman a slightly dirty look which he ignored cause the only face that mattered to him was Bradley's.

"You came back to school?" He found himself saying as he smiled and motioned toward her standing in front of him and she chuckled.

"Yeah, you can't stay sad forever." She said as she put a hair behind her ear and stared at him before deciding to depart with her friends as she found his clingyness distasteful.

"Will I see you around?" He questioned but she ignored him and had walked off already with her friends leaving Norman alone and questioning himself.

He walked off to class forgetting Bradley and thinking back to the scruffy short dog back at home and he hoped the dog would come back. He could picture bringing it home inside the house, brushing it, sleeping with it, and taking it baths. He smiled to himself, a very wide smile as his classmates around gave him strange looks. He didn't seem to notice and only grabbed his tools from his bag and prepared for the lesson in a happy mood, he just hoped his mom would accept the dog or maybe he could sneak it in. He'd have to wait and see.

* * *

Norma got up the next morning, and dressed for the day in business attire and fixing her hair up, she heard a knock at the door and quickly went to answer and was greeted by Emma.

"Hi Emma." She greeted him with a wide smile as Emma smiled back and looked up from the pate that sat out in the front door.

"Did you get a dog?" Emma questioned as Norma looked down at the white piece of her china and she scrunched her eyebrows in question as she turned back to Emma.

"Not that I know of."

"Is Norman here?"

"Yeah come in, I'll go get him." She said as she let Emma in and look back at the little plate in distaste and she ran up the stairs to pull Normans ear for leaving food outside.

"Emma's downstairs." Norma told Norman who took the earphones from his ears out and turned to his mom in question.

"Can you tell her I'm not feeling well?" He didn't feel like talking to Emma, he just felt that he didn't want to hurt her feelings because he knew she liked him, but he saw her as a good friend, the first he's ever had and he didn't want to ruin it. Also, he was very much infatuated with Bradley and he couldn't get her out of his head especially after the night they shared.

"You know that girl likes you?" Norma said at her son's sensitive nature.

"Yeah and I know it's not good to lead someone on." Norma huffed at his remark and was getting ready to leave after she remembered the dog food outside.

"Did you leave dog food outside?" Norma asked in a slightly angry tone to which Norman hadn't noticed as he turned to her with a smile, obviously excited to talk about the dog.

"Yeah, there was a stray dog and I- ."

"Don't leave FOOD outside! You'll attract all the animals to our front door!" She slammed his door and he merely stared at the door slightly feeling hurt at his mom's punishing tone and he shook his head and went back to doing his work.

"Sorry Emma, Norman's not feeling well." She sat down beside Emma on the staircase and she could tell that Emma seemed hurt as she shook her head and arose to leave.

"It's okay. I just have allergies." Emma lied and wiped her nose as Norma arose and felt bad for Emma's hurt towards not being around Norman and she swore she'd beat the shit out of him later.

"You know. I have to go get some window shears, um do you know where this place is?" She handed Emma a card and Emma nodded as she sniffed her tears back.

"Yeah, I can show you. If you want?"

"Really? Ok." Norma said as they departed and headed out on the road where Emma talked about how Norman is obsessed with this girl at school and Norma was deeply interested because Norman had seemed distant lately. They later went into town and found the girl who's had Norman wrapped around her little finger and it outraged her because she knew this girl was playing with Norman's feelings and she almost went inside to beat the shit out of her until Emma had to hold her back as they started to make a scene which she apologized for and they went for lunch.

* * *

Norman was fixing the OFFICE sign outside the motel and he heard the sound of a high bark and turned around to see the short scruffy dog and he got off the short ladder. He went to grab a cookie and took a bite before he split it apart and he threw it slightly close to where he was sitting and the dog went forward and began to eat.

"Hey Juno." He liked the name as he called toward her.

She grabbed the next piece and he held the last piece in his hand and motioned for her to come and eat from his hand as he wanted to pet her.

"You'll have to get this one, Juno." He said as the dog ate from his hand and he pet her behind her ear and picked her up and sat her on his lap before his mom came rushing over with bags.

"Norman!" She said loudly as she saw him seated with the short dog in his lap eating a cookie from his hand which looked slightly cute and she found herself liking him with a dog.

"Mother, look she came to me." Norman said as he scratched her behind her ears and she hummed in delight which Norma found kind of cute, but she turned her lip up in slight disgust as she shifted on one leg and turned her head to see if there was anyone around before she looked back to Norman and his new dog.

"Norman." She said in a soft tone and Norman knew what she was going to say and he started to shake her head slowly.

"No, Mother, I want to keep her, she's all alone, she just wants to be loved. I will take care of her, you don't have to do anything." Norman said with pleading eyes and a serious tone as he stared hard at his mom who stood quiet for a long time changing facial expressions before she turned her head upward with a sigh and leaped it forward.

"Fine, but you better make sure she doesn't poop in the house." She said as she walked passed him and placed the bags in one of the rooms and prepared the curtains on the windows as Norman played the dogs paws who barked in delight.

"Mother, I'm going to go into town with Juno and get her some things to take care of her." Norman said as he began to get ready and run off with the short dog in his arms.

"Juno?" She said from in one of the motel rooms and walked out to see him with the pup in his arms which was cute but also disgusting because the dog was dirty and smelled like road kill.

"Yeah, I named her Juno." Norman said grabbing her paw and waving it towards her as the dog whined in delight and Norma slightly smirked before she rolled her eyes and motioned her hand upward.

"Alright, go have a blast." Norma said as she walked back into the room and Norman took off with the Juno in his arms which he later placed beside him as they walked further down the road.

* * *

Norma later began to clean the rooms and was going to her first guest who checked into the motel who was very odd and Norma felt kind of afraid of him. She ignored the feeling and grabbed the cart and knocked on his door which she immediately regretted and found herself a couple of minutes later in her room getting dressed so that she kind seduce Sheriff Romero to put her name forward for a seat on the council so that she could stop the bypass from happening.

"Hello Mrs. Bates." He said formally as he sat down in his large chair and took little notice of her attire as he knew her intentions from the perfume she wore. It smelled delightful, it smelled like lavender, it was calming, but it didn't belong on a woman as fiery as her, which he laughed at in his head.

"Oh, please, call me Norma. After everything we've been through." Norma said and he rolled his eyes underneath his lids as he knew her game, she was beautiful he couldn't deny, but he was not going to give into her like every other man who crossed paths with her did.

"Norma." He said, it came out smoothly on his tongue and it sent a slight warmth to his stomach, but he kept his composure as he looked to Norma and back in his chair awaiting her lying game and he watched as shifted into a position to seduce him which was flattering, but he didn't like the fact that she wanted something and came in expecting to get based on her charm.

"I was driving around and I thought I'd pop in to see you." She said with a charming smile which her eyes grew bright. Her eyes were gorgeous, it's what drew him into her the first night he met her, but she was such a bad liar and he could see everything from her eyes. He stood quiet and he watched her smile drop and shifted awkwardly seeing as her first tactic failed.

"So, anyway, you know I bought the motel a couple of months ago and no one told me that there building a new bypass and…"He could hear her lie and he merely watched her lips move and he knew what she was attempting to ask him and there it came.

"And I see there's a new seat on the council and I was wondering if you could put my name through?" She asked and he stared into her blue eyes for a long time and he saw as she shifted awkwardly and cocked his head in question.

"Why would I do that?" He asked her and he saw the shock in her face at him denying her, her wish, and he dominated her plan and watched as she crumbled.

"Because I thought you would. After everything we've been through." She said as she leaned forward pressing body towards his desk, but he kept his eyes on her's.

"Why?"

"We know things about eachother." She pointed towards herself and towards him and he smiled slightly inside and he blinked at her ignorant charm.

"We don't owe eachother nothing. We're not friends. You don't know me. Don't assume differently because I was kind enough to save your ass once." He finished and he saw the spark in her eyes ignite and snapped back at him and the heat in his stomach from earlier became hotter as she raised her voice.

"Excuse me, but weren't you saving your own ass at the time?!" She snipped and he closed his eyes before get up from his seat as she continued to use everything that had happened against him. He closed the door not wanting his fellow employees to hear her.

"Are you trying to say you have something on me?" He questioned her as he took a seat on his desk and watch as she cocked her head smugly and he became annoyed with her.

"Cause of that's what you're saying, I might have to burn you down to the ground." He threatened her and he saw fear in her eyes as all her pride slipped away and she leaned back in her seat. He was annoyed with her attitude and controlling nature.

"I know what you're doing." He said as she blinked and realized her knew the moment he walked in and saw her admiring the small glass ball on his desk that she had the intention of seducing him to get what she wanted and she felt slightly sick to herself and Romero notice this, but didn't care.

"Go home, Mrs. Bates." He said as she blinked slightly faster and arose as she shifted from being too close to him and he saw her go out into the hallway before he closed his office door and shook his head at her pride.

' _That woman is going to be trouble and I am going to be right in the middle of all of it. I just know I am,_ ' He thought as he sat back down his large brown chair and flipped through files that needed to processed and completed.

* * *

Norman was inside the pet store and put Juno in the cart and pushed her around and grabbed a small bed, he grabbed dog food, he grabbed a leash, a collar, treats, toys, a small outfit, and he had her groomed and she came out brand new and he was so excited with the finished result. Her fur was a golden color and the life in her eyes returned to her eyes, she smelled sweet and her little nose sniffed at him in delight and he tail wagged in happiness at having finally been cleaned. He grabbed her new collar and put it around her neck and clipped her dog tag on it that read Juno and her address.

"Now, me and you can be together forever." He said as he took her to the local vet where he and she sat awaiting to be met with the Vet and he looked at the other people with their animals and he felt like the happiest man in the world.

"Juno!" He heard the vet assistant call out Juno's name and he sat up happily as her grabbed the bags and walked over with Juno trailing behind him and he met the bright smile of the assistant.

Norman would later be met with Bradley's betrayal as she became angry with him for telling the school that they had sex together but it hardly seemed to faze him as his mind swirled with Juno. His fellow classmates gave him looks and he saw Mrs. Watson staring at him from the small window by the classroom and he smiled back at her as he walked into class.

"Hello, Mrs. Watson." He greeted her as he went to take his seat and he notice Emma's guilty face which he was going to question until he heard Mrs. Watson's voice.

"Are you alright, Norman?"

"Yes, I've never been happier." He said as his eyes trailed to the floor and Mrs. Watson grew concerned until she saw his bright smile and eyes full of cheer.

"I actually got a dog. My first. I named her Juno." He said as she congratulated him and patted his back before he later took his seat to which Emma was a bit surprised at seeing him so happy even though she had blurted out to the school what him and Bradley had done.

"Emma, I got a dog." He told her from his seat as she sat behind him. Emma's eyebrows lifted as eyes darted around and she swallowed before looking back to his eyes.

"Oh, oh, you did? Norma was okay with it?" Emma questioned as Norman's eyes became dialated and he smile fell slightly.

"Of course, she was. I'm going to be 18, and I've always wanted a dog. I love Juno." He said as Emma smiled at Norman's shift in attitude about whether his mom accepted it or not.

"Juno?"

"Yeah, my dog. I named her Juno. When you come into work at the motel, drop by the house to see her." He said as class began to start and Emma was surprised how calm Norman was being even though everyone was talking behind his back and even Mrs. Watson seemed to take a few peeks over at him. Norman was just happy though, much happier than when he got laid, he felt as if he were on top of the moon.

* * *

Norma later arrived at home, she got of her car, the green Mercedes, she loved her car and was so happy she bought it and she thought to the man staying in Room 9. Jake Abernathy. He was starting to scare her even more, she wanted him gone, he had already almost threatened her. She stomped to his room and threw his money back in his face to which his frozen seemed to not even be fazed by.

"I want you out!"

"You're going to regret doing that. Norma Bates." She heard him say as she stomped off to the house where she sat getting ready for a bath.

She sat inside the tub with lavender and bath salts in it, the water was clear and warm, she had her hair put up and her head was laying on puffed towel as she contemplated life. She closed her eyes as she thought back to the beginning, her childhood, her brother and her. She reopened her eyes as she didn't want to think about that. For the longest time, she had thought Dylan belonged to Caleb and she dreaded it until awhile back before when she still lived with her first husband she had a blood test to ease her worry to which she felt so happy about when the tests came back positive that he was her husbands.

"My darling boy, Dylan." She said to herself as she remembered being pregnant with him, it wasn't too exciting seeing as she was a 17-year-old girl who wanted so desperately to escape her home and brother. She rubbed her hands over her stomach as she remembered her oldest son, she remembered when they placed his slippery body over her chest and announced his gender. She felt so complete when they gave him to her, all her troubles, her past, and future seemed to slip away as her she heard the cries of her baby boy.

"Where have, the years gone?" She said to herself as she thought back to her oldest son who was now 23. Then she began to remember Sam, she was so stupid to fall for his charm and soon after she became pregnant with Norman. Norman was unlike Dylan because with Sam she wanted to get away from him from the abuse, her first husband had never layed his hands on her, but with Sam the baby between her and him would be beyond her crappy life.

She remembered Dylan being afraid of Sam, he would always be gone, he was so young, but he was already so independent and he hated his mom. Norma never understood where his hate came from, but she blamed herself for not caring enough over him. She was so young, she didn't know what to do and she was afraid too. Their relationship was much better now, they had become close after he saved Norma and Norman from Zach Shelby. She felt his care, but he always tried to play the tough guy because everything he and Norma had been through. Norman was a darling baby, he had bright brown curls and her eyes, he was so handsome and Dylan was happy to have a new sibling, but never showed it. Norma regretted leaving Dylan back in Arizona without telling him where her and Norman had gone, she began to cry in the tub, she put her wet hands to her face as she cried into them.

"Why was I such a Bitch?" Norma questioned herself as she sat up in the tube, the water shifted from her weight.

Pregnancy had been her only happiest moments in life, her children had given her the motivation to continue living. Both of her boys she loved very dearly and she would never let anyone get in between her and her sons. Dylan was such an independent man, he'd never let her get too close, but she found him as her source of advice for helping Norman. Norman, she cared for so much and he was very close to her as well, but Dylan had mentioned to not smother and let him live on his own. She just didn't want her only sources of motivation to continue living, to leave her, she'd given birth to them and they'd changed her and made her feel complete. Now they were older, they weren't little boys she would bathe together and dress, they were men now who would find a new woman to take care of them.

"I should just have another baby." She joked as she submerged herself under the water all but laughing at such a terrible idea.

* * *

Dylan pulled up to the motel with Remo where he found Norma walking out of Room 9 looking to him in question as he walked up towards her with his left arm in a sling.

"How many rooms are available?" He asked her as she looked passed him and the beat-up van with colorful people coming out of with bags and a short scruffy guy coming from the driver's seat. She put both hands in her maids uniform top pockets and motioned to all the rooms with her body.

"Yup, all 12 rooms."

"What happened to Jake Abernathy?" Dylan questioned as Norma seemed to shift her eyes down to feet and sway in a way that made her vulnerable.

"You were right. About that guy." Norma said as Dylan's eyebrows shot up in shock as he was surprised at his mom's actions.

"Yeah, well, you're about to get some business, cause they all need rooms." Dylan said motioning to all the colorful people who were laughing about and being stupid.

"Ok, Dylan, Dylan." She said as he began walking away before she pulled him to the side so that she could talk to him.

"Hey, Norman's staying at Emma's for dinner, do you want to go out and eat something with me?" She asked him as she noticed Dylan's expression change, he looked happy, but he masked his face, the tough guy, she smirked at it and he smiled back her and nodded.

"Sure."

Her smile went wider and her bright white teeth glistened as Dylan chuckled at his mom's innocence sometimes and he saw her run up to the house so that she could get ready. She was so happy to be fixing the pieces with her son when she smelled a rotten smell and she turned the light off and her blouse halfway off her torso when she looked to see the corpse of Zach Shelby and Dylan heard screams from the house.

* * *

Later, he stood in his mom's bedroom with Romero and Norman, Norma sat there in a blanket sniffling as he stood far from her and heard Romero question her. He looked slightly annoyed with her and Dylan could only assume Norma must have used one of her charms on him to which he didn't fall for. Dylan smirked and respected the Sheriff.

"Do you have an idea who could've done this?" Romero questioned and Norma became enraged as her fiery spirit came back and Romero almost laughed at how much of a tough woman she was. He watched as she looked to her son Dylan.

"Yes, I have an idea. It was that man Jake Abernathy!" She raised her voice as began to become enraged at this mystery man who had been harassing her the past week. Romero had his hands on his hips as he looked to her then to Dylan.

"Do you have his information?" Romero questioned as Dylan nodded and was ready to take him down to the motel when Norma did another one of her over dramatic outbursts.

"Why do crazy people keep gravitating towards me?!" She yelled in anger as Romero ignored her humorous remark and he stalked off with Dylan down to the motel where Dylan pulled up Jake Abernathy's information.

"How's the arm?" Romero questioned trying to spark conversation with Norma's oldest son who looked a lot like Norma, but was the opposite of her and Norman and he could assume he must be from someone else.

"You mean from when I got in the way of your showdown?" Romero let out a sigh of annoyance as he felt the young man's irritation at not receiving the credit for saving the little family he had left. He grabbed the information from his hands.

"Take care of your mother." He said before leaving Dylan who scratched his head with his free arm before returning upstairs to find his mom already recovered from the whole horrific incident, she was already throwing the mattress of the bed and yelling at Norman to take the mattress down to the trash can outside the motel.

* * *

Norman sat with Juno in his room as he did his homework and began thinking about career prospects which he was starting to discuss in one of his classes. He had gone to Emma's house and saw how her dad did Taxidermy which he seemed very drawn to, but he also loved living animals after being around Juno. He didn't really know yet because his mother never let him get involved in anything and Norman had no idea. He ran the motel with his mom so maybe he could just continue the business, he like working in the motel a lot seeing as he got his charm from his mom, but it would be nice for a change.

"I should get a job" Norman said to himself as he looked over to Juno who sat on her little blue dog bed with a toy lying beside her.

"What do you think Juno?" He asked as she tilted her head to the side and nodded.

"Yeah, I think so too." Norman agreed as he pulled up a slip from his folder that read dog groomer. Before he left the pet store in town, he had noticed a sign that read now hiring, they needed dog trainers, dog groomers, and cashier. He smiled. Juno barked in agreement.

His mom seemed stressed out so he'd mention to her later about applying, he'd get short hours on different days so he and Emma can each get time attending the motel.

Norman and Dylan found themselves hauling the mattress out to the dumpster and Dylan began complaining about his mother.

"A waste of a perfectly good bed. Watch she's gonna make a meal out of this whole event for a year." Dylan said as he and Norman tossed the bed in the dumpster. With Juno following behind Norman, her little tail wagging obediently beside him and Norma watched her little tail wag as she looked at her before looking back to Dylan.

"I'm not making a meal out of anything. It was completely horrific!" Norma said raising her voice as she tossed the bed sheets and comforter in the dumpster.

"Isn't she crazy Juno?" Dylan asked the dog who barked in return. Norma rolled her eyes as Dylan pointed to the dog and Norman smiled.

"She agrees. Your over reacting."

"Keep that up, Juno and you'll find no more treats from me." Norma said as Juno put a paw to her nose and whined in a sorry tone. Norman picked her up and rubbed her belly.

"She didn't mean that Juno. You'll still get belly rubs from me." Norman said lovingly as Juno began licking his face. Dylan and Norma just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What? She loves me."

Norma shook her head and began sniffing the air as a familiar scent hit her nostrils and she knew all too well what the smell belonged to. Dylan knew that she knew when she looked at him a gave him a certain look before she stomped off and he followed after her. She began yelling at one of stoners before stomping off being over dramatic once more and yelling about moving to which Norman didn't even seem fazed by seeing as he was wagging Juno's paw in her face to which she pushed Norman away and he fell on the gravel with the pup still in the air to make sure she didn't get hurt. Dylan laughed at the sight.

* * *

Some flowers showed up and turned out to belong to Jake Abernathy, Norma could feel it and she was already in a bad mood from the stoners who she had to clean up after and then now he was stalking past the motel and Norma had called Sheriff Romero who seemed to be gone when she most needed him. She later found herself on her computer looking for locations to move to, but she knew deep down that they couldn't move. She dropped the idea.

"I do want them to find that creep." She had told Norman as they were eating dinner and Juno was by the door in the kitchen eating her dinner in a bright orange bowl that read Juno.

"Hey, Mother." Norman began as Norma looked up to him in question.

"I was thinking, I could get a part-time job down at the Pet Store." Norman said as he saw his mom's expression change and she looked slightly uncomfortable, she looked down at her food and Norman knew she was going to start talking about everything they went through and the motel and how not to leave her.

"I can get hours on different days of the week so that me and Emma can work on different days and hours, I can still work at the Motel mom." Norman said as he tried to convince his mom who wiped her teeth with her tongue and cocked her head up to look at him.

"Norman…" He knew that tone.

"Mother…" He mocked to which she was surprised by. She knew he was growing up, ever since she let him keep Juno she hadn't even seen him home or spending time with her. She felt lonely, although Juno kept her company surprisingly, she had thought Juno would be like Hachi and wait for him at school and walk home with him, but Juno stood in the house with Norma. They'd gotten close, Norman had even installed a dog flap in the back door near the washers, so Juno was well trained and never seemed to bark unless there was danger or you were talking to her.

"Okay, Norman."

"Really?!" Norman seemed excited and surprised at the same time as Norma nodded slowly and her tone was soft and Norman got up and hugged her tightly.

"Your growing up so much Norman." Norma whispered into his hair and he just nodded in return.

"You hear that Juno! She said yes!" Norman said as she jumped on his chest and Norman held her in his arms and lifted her up like a baby and kissed her head and Norma rested her cheek on her hand as she watched how fast her son was changing.

He had begun to get worse before he met Juno, she feared he would become worse and hurt someone, but now he seemed so happy. He seemed normal and she found no reason to ever tell him how his father really died and she knew Dylan would forever keep it a secret.

Hopefully.

* * *

 **I watched the Psycho series as a kid from living with my grandma and I found out they made a show based on it and I absolutely fell in love with a show and it's truly horrific about Norma's outcome.**

 **I thought I would write a story( to feel better) based on what if things were different? What if Norman got the help he needed and changed for the better? I also need to work on my writing skills because I'm trying to write a book so please critique me on my writing style or if you want me to be more descriptive in certain areas. Or if you just like the story and how I write let me know. Review. ^ ^**

 **After all, they do say pet's are the best therapy!**

 **Next Chapter: Silverstein's Pet Supplies**


	2. Silverstein's Pet Supplies

**Slightly rated M. Very subtle hints of suggestive themes.**

 **Be warned.**

* * *

Chapter 2 Silverstein's Pet Supplies

Norma stood behind the crates, outside a warehouse near the docks, she could hear the rippling of the water as it swayed back and forth. The air was chilly, she looked up into the night sky and then all around her surroundings making sure she hadn't been followed, she then lugged the hand bag filled with her clothes and a pillow to make it appear as if there was a wad of cash in it. She wore a blue head scarf shielding her appearance and the color brought out the blue in her eyes, she took short strides and heard a car pull up, she turned the corner of the barn to see who it was.

' _Alex?'_ she thought in surprise as she saw him get off the truck and hulled a bag behind him as he threw it to the ground as he looked around before she quickly slipped away hoping he didn't see her.

' _I didn't think he'd actually show up…'_ She thought as she heard his steps quickly approaching and she dived behind one of the fishing buckets and chained barrels. She hid behind as she watched him come into view with his civilian clothes, they were basic dress wear, but felt as if seeing a celebrity walking on the sidewalk outside your house.

A car pulled up which she immediately recognized as Abernathy, the scumbag, he would actually show up to this pathetic ploy to scare her and Norma felt kind of smug for a moment since she called on the "Big Daddy of White Pine Bay" to help her with practically all her problems and there he went like a loyal guard dog protecting its mistress.

"Where's the cute, but nutty woman. Norma Bates?" Abernathy questioned as he walked almost paralyzing his face held no emotion, but his voice was filled with malice and disdain towards Norma. She sank lower in her spot as she watched them exchange greetings and next thing you know is "Big Daddy" is out her making a deal with a possible Sex Trafficker Ring Leader, she got out the gun Dylan had given her earlier and was going to shoot both of them until Romero did the most unexpected thing.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

Romero shot Abernathy before throwing the 150, 000 off the dock and into the water, and then he put his gun back in his back pants and was heading back to his car when he spoke.

"Go home, Norma."

She shot straight up. She became infuriated at his lack of comfort, she was terrified, the least he could've done was let her know the plan and she could feel at ease, but no, he didn't say anything other than "Trust Me" and his says it in such a monotonous tone that it's as if he is mocking everything she's trying to tell him.

"I almost shot you!" She yelled infuriated as he kept walking away his back strong and wide with relief as he said to her with a tilt of his head.

"When I say trust me, TRUST ME."

Norma stood there glued to the spot as her expression softened and her perception of Sheriff Romero changed and she found herself slightly respecting him more, he was a strange man, he was unlike any other she met and yet he pissed her off beyond imagination. He wouldn't bend to her will and she wouldn't listen to anything he would say and he was the SHERIFF. Did she not see his badge? Did she not feel his dominating presence? She would just stand up to him and put him in his place and he would listen, but then he would do the same and she would have no choice but to back down.

* * *

The summer had come and business was booming down at the motel, there were families coming in and out and the sound of children's laughter and small feet hitting the gravel. Norma walked from the house down to the motel where she found Emma at the front counter assisting guests and she questioned where Norman was and Emma replied with "The Dogs".

"I'm happy he's at least out having fun, he should be coming then." Norma said as she folded her arms over her chest happily as she helped Emma and conversed with the guests.

Norman sat with a large accompany of dogs, he was watching after them as they played with eachother, he was in charge with the keeping the peace and most of the dogs were sweet. Juno kept beside him the whole time and then a couple hours had passed and he was done with his shift and waved goodbye to his coworkers and left with Juno on his new red bike.

* * *

Dylan found himself between a rock and a hard place as he and Remo sat down in the processing room awaiting the new arrival to take Gil's place. Remo had assured him that both men would be reasonably alright, but Dylan had an irked feeling until an average looking man walk through the door similar to Gil.

"Hi, boys. Remo." It was an average guy around 5'11, and middle aged, his eyes were grey and he began to discuss with them the recent events and the changes that would have to be met. Dylan was surprised by all of it and he merely shrugged and raised his eyebrows in agreement without another word and he and Remo went about their day.

Bradley Martin had committed suicide from the guilt of killing Gil who she soon learned was not responsible for the death of her father.

* * *

Norma sat at the desk in the BATES MOTEL Office, she scribbled through several notepads and calculated several numeric equations through her calculator as she budgeted the profits and impacts. Her business was blooming and she felt a smile creep to her face until Romero suddenly showed up in front of the desk with his stoic composure, although he looked slightly annoyed.

"What are doing here?" Norma questioned.

"Is that anyway to greet your guests?" He snipped in reply as he shifted his weight on one leg before turning his head to look up at her house and then back at her as she puffed out a sigh of annoyance.

"I need a room."

She gave him a look before she typed away on her laptop and then looked back at him as he held out a blue card.

"Is card okay?"

Norma grabbed the card and examined it as she gave it back as she was not feeling in the mood to put his credit information especially since she could feel his eyes burning holes all over her body.

"How long?" She asked and he blinked a few times before letting out a rough sigh.

"A couple of months or so- ."

"Why?" She asked curious as she saw his face turn away in irritation and she could see his large hand close and then open. He paced back and forth for a short minute before he decided to tell her knowing she would just keeping bugging him until he told her the truth.

"My house burned down."

"It what?" Norma gasped.

"Yeah, there was a gas leak." He swallowed as he turned from her and over his shoulder trying to avoid her mischievous eyes and prying nature.

"Wow, that's unfortunate. Did your family get out alright?" Norma asked as she turned away from him and was trying to pick a key for him to a room she knew he might prefer, she hadn't even thought about the question, she just assumed he must have family, most Sheriffs were married with kids.

"I live alone." He said after a long silence as she fiddled with the keys and stopped and turned to look at him with remorse in her eyes and he grew more annoyed. She swore like living alone was the saddest thing on earth and all he wanted was be far from her and in his room so he could take a good shower and pass out on the soft bed.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry Sheriff." She said as she scratched her arm. "Here, I'll give you room 11." She handed him the key as he was readying to leave when she crossed her arms over the glass table.

"Any special requests?" She asked with a cheerful smile, there such life in her eyes that drew Romero to her, her eyes, they said so much about her. She could be so innocent when she looked at him like that, a genuine smile and eyes filled with wonder, but she was a woman who he could not control, he felt uneasy around her and he did not like that. His pride wouldn't allow it.

"Privacy." He snipped and he saw the hurt in her eyes, but he didn't regret it. She was the type of woman who would not go down, she'd throw it back in his face or bring him down to his knees and indeed she did later that night.

* * *

Norma was getting ready for bed, she would strip in front of mirror, she would start with her blouse and unbutton it slowly before slipping it off her shoulders exposing her supple skin for a woman in her late 30s almost early 40s and a mother of two grown men. She began to unzip her skirt which she slowly let fall and lay beside her ankles as she took in her form, she wore matching lingerie, they were white and her pink nipples could be seen through the translucent fabric. They hardened at the cold air and she closed her eyes slightly from the cold air before reaching for her robe and wrapping it around herself and throwing her clothes in her laundry basket. She sat at her vanity where she removed her makeup and lotioned her body, she spent the longest on her legs, she went up and down before hiking up closer to the warm spot between her legs. She sighed as she waved her blonde curls behind her face.

She had gone into town earlier that day to have her annual checkup at the Gynecologist like any woman, you can never be too careful or healthy. She had layed there on the mat and opened her legs for the elderly woman to do her job. She remembered her saying:

" _We should talk about what Birth Control you're using." The elderly woman had asked._

" _It doesn't matter, I'm not having sex anyway." Norma had replied._

She let out a puff of frustration as she rolled her eyes in annoyance as she quickly rubbed lotion over her feet and looked to her vanity at her collection of assortments before her eyes fell on the small shut case that was a pearl color. Her pills which she hadn't taken since the Zach Shelby incident and that was almost 9 months ago, she even sighed at how long it's been, but she just had been so busy with the Motel's progress and Norman's improvement. He seemed like an altogether different person and the way that dog worshiped him, they went everywhere together especially during the summer.

"Well, I guess we really are becoming an old lady." She joked as she shut her light off and climbed in the covers and drifted off to sleep not having any self-aware to her strip in front of the window effected a certain man down stairs.

He had been arriving to his room from a long day of work when he spotted her figure in the window and was amazed at how clearly, he could see her. He looked around to see if anyone else had noticed, but it was very late and most of the rooms lights were out. He watched her undress and stare at herself in what could assume was a mirror and he felt himself grow ashamed as he knew he should let her have her privacy. He continued to watch and he felt his body grow hot and after her light shut off he quickly went in his room and undid his buckle and pants from the bulging pressure that pressed forward and he would later groan in the shower as he relieved himself.

* * *

Norman was in the Office attending the guests and he hadn't notice Sheriff Romero sneak in and hoard all the coffee and cream, but he watched as he stopped in his tracks.

"You're out of cream." He motioned the empty china at Norman who smiled in reply.

"I can go ask, Mother." He said getting ready to walk upstairs when the guilt caught with Sheriff Romero and what he had done and he didn't want to look in her eyes, fearing she would be able to see the act he had committed.

"No, it's alright. I'll take it black." He said coolly as to not alarm the teen with his apparent uneasiness to face his mother. Norman smiled back at him before going back to managing the desk and watched the Sheriff Romero who was praying to God that his house would be repaired quickly.

* * *

Norma later dragged Norman to a musical where they both tried out for a singing duo, but unfortunately didn't make the parts and Norman didn't seemed to upset by it, but he noticed his mother's shift in mood until the next day it had lit up and she told of a woman name Christine who invited who over her mansion for a "Garden Party." How rich can one get? He watched her leave as he rode his back to Silverstein's Pet Store where Juno sat comfortably in the small basket in front of the handlebars.

"So, Norma Bates." A charming man appeared beside her as she got a bit uncomfortable from being beside so many successful people and having to lie her way through just to not feel embarrassed at being a high school dropout. And now a charming successful man was talking to her, he deserved better and she knew he did as she stared into his caring deep blue eyes and warm smile. There was never a spark between them, Norma had never felt it and only allowed herself to be swooped because of wanting a seat on the council to stop the bypass since Christine had promised her a seat.

"Are you ready?" She heard him say as she sat beside him in his car as he drove her to his mansion, all his assortments were of high quality, his products were of the highest quality, even the dinner he had prepared was of a classy restaurant which Norma would never find herself in and yet she felt guilty. She had been playing for the seat on the Council. She felt sick to her stomach as his hands roamed her body without asking and his mouth pressed to her neck and when he had entered her, she realized that this was a mistake and ran off.

She had stopped at a local bar on her way home, her dressed dishelved, but she could care less, she drank her guilt away and she began to cry at the table and the bartender merely watched over her. An attractive as herself would surely not be left alone, but when she started to ball hard on the drinks no one would come near her and later the bartender was forced to call the Sheriff when Norma broke a bottle and was threatening a large tattooed man who merely asked if she were alright.

"Hello." A groggy Sheriff Romero spoke into the phone as he layed in bed with his eyes closed and shirt off.

"Sheriff, there's a young woman by the name of Norma Bates who is threatening patrons with a broken bottle. She also says she knows you and you're her "BIG DADDY"." He could almost hear the bartender crack with laughter when he overheard Norma shouting and the sound of broken glass.

"I don't know her."

"Sheriff!"

"Alright, I'll be right there." Sheriff Romero arose quickly from bed and got dressed before he drove quickly to the small bar where he found Norma on the floor passed out. He looked to the bartender before picking her up in his arms, she smelled of strong liquor, and she seemed thrown up somewhere as he could see a trickle down the corner of her lip.

He buckled her in the SUV and stormed off and back to the Motel, he had no idea who was home as he didn't see any of houses lights on and Norma didn't appear to have her keys on her. He was left with the only choice of having to let her sleep with him, he took off her heels and lyed her down on the bed and climbed in beside her. She curled up beside him.

"I missed you." He heard her say and he scrunched his eyebrows in question, but received no answer as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Norman woke up the next morning to his mother gone and a rather rude note on the porch from Christine and George, he rolled his eyes and burned as got dressed with Juno following behind cheerfully wagging her tail.

He wondered where his mom had gone off to, but could only assume she was down at the Office, she was always an early riser, he remembered.

There was throbbing pain that radiated in Norma's head or brain, she shifted in her bed, but stopped when her movements were halted and she groggily turned to the right to see Sheriff Romero asleep with an arm draped over her waist. She blinked a few times to make sure it was real before she flew off the bed from shock and hit her head on the small table beside the behind she moaned at and bend her whole body downward.

"Norma…" She heard Sheriff Romero call her name as he watched her writhe in pain and covered her private as she knew he probably had seen her underwear already, she was so tacky to wear a red thong to George's place.

"Sheriff Romero…" She moaned in pain.

"Call me, Alex."

"Alex…. what the hell happened to me?" She asked as she fell in a curled position holding her head and giving a full view of her ass to which he ignored and got and walked around her picking her up gently and sitting her on the bed.

"I got a call last night that you were threatening bar patrons and that I'm your "BIG DADDY"." He said with a tiny smirk in his sentence to which she fell back on the pillows in embarrassment and he could see her face go red, her chest even became red, she covered her face so he couldn't see until she shot up and grabbed the trash can underneath the bedside table and threw up into it.

"Sorry." She said as Alex merely rubbed her back in comfort to which she didn't think was strange at all, she always considered Alex a good friend, especially the past few months he stayed at the motel they had grown closer and even gone to lunch which was more of an intrusion on eachother part.

"We all do stupid things? Alcohol is the only source to forget it all." Alex said as he caressed her hair and smiled up at him before barfing again into the black trashcan.

"I'll clean this up later."

* * *

Norman saw his mom arrive home later looking completely exhausted and she told him that all she wanted to do was sleep, don't talk to her, don't ask her anything, just leave her the fuck alone.

Norman grimaced at her complexion, but later heard from Emma about a mysterious fiery blonde woman who took down about five guys in a bar and won around three drinking contests of heavy liquor and then trying to kill someone with a broken bottle. He could only assume Norma had a detour from George's place and happened to not work out which he smiled slightly about because he knew Norma could do better, but when he said better he didn't expect what had **happened** as better.

* * *

Sheriff Romero eventually moved out of the Motel where he departed back to his new home and was going to say by to Norma, but could not find her in the Office and went upstairs to see her sitting beside the piano playing a melody. He watched her arms and hands move up and down the keys, she played softly, but yet there was so much emotion in what she played and he cleared his voice as he stood behind her.

"Alex!" She greeted with a bright smile, there it was, that innocence that had drawn him to Norma Bates, she had a certain innocence that surrounded her, it was in her big blue eyes. He could just stare at her all day and he would never get tired, he wouldn't have to touch her, or kiss her. Just to be able to see those beautiful blues filled with life and the innocence in the smile she seemed to bring every time he drew near to her.

"Norma. I'm getting ready to leave the motel," He saw the life slip from her eyes and her smile was falling and he swallowed hard as he was reminded of being in high school. It was as if he were going to war and leaving her forever.

"I wanted to give you this. You know there still making the bypass." He said as he handed her the check with quite a sum of money which she rejected, but he had insisted she take.

"I'll see you around Norma." He said as she arose from the piano to hold him tightly and he remembered the night he picked her up from the bar and she had done the same.

"I missed you." He heard her whisper, but he didn't understand why she said that and he knew if he asked she would only deny it.

"I've always felt safe with you here, Alex." She admitted as her face was beet red and she buried it in Alex's strong chest before he caressed her hair. They stood like that for far too long than was normal and Norman passed by before doing a double take.

"Get a room, you two." He said as he walked upstairs with Juno in tow.

"It's not like that." They both said at the same time before considering one another's eyes for any sign of meaning higher that would allow them to change their whole relationship, but none was formed.

But in the end Alex left and Norma watched from the window and Alex watched the house disappear in his rear-view mirror regretting what he had done, but he felt it was only right. She burned him, every time she came close he felt as if he couldn't breathe, his hands would sweat, and body would grow hot and he felt the same from her when they had been sitting in the kitchen and she had been attending a cut on his forehead.

He remembered his knees being buried between her legs and she had leaned over to get deeper into the cut to clean it, but by doing it, his knee rammed into the heat between her legs which her voice went quiet and they sat there awkwardly after as Alex avoided the amount of wetness she had. She never played with Alex, she could and he'd let her, but something restrained them from tearing each others clothes and he didn't know what it was.

A change was bound to happen, if not out then in.

* * *

 **Okay, so, I've displayed so much foreshadowing in the two chapters, but these are alternate versions of events that will still occur, but will have much different outcomes.**

 **This story is also a slow burn. So there won't be any rushing or crazy biz happening just yet. This story revolves around mainly on Norma and Alex's relationship, but it does mention other characters from time to time that will conflict with the plot and once more alter events.**

 **Tell me if you guys enjoy long or short chapters, I'm so used to writing long stories, but if you guy's prefer something slightly shorter than I can work around that.**

 **Leave a Review! It will let me know what I should improve on or be more explicit about. The rating will change in the future, but I am very subtle when describing erotica to the point where it doesn't sound erotic, but if you would like me to blend the two than I can work with it. I just try to picture what the characters would do. ^^**

 **Chapter 3:** The Life of a Man Who Lives Alone


	3. The Life of a Man Who Lives Alone

The house was empty in the sense that there was no warmth. Not in the cracks. Not in the furniture. The house was not loved, but yet it was neither neglected, but cared for delicately until the fire had engulfed it and it left it's inhabitant astray. Now it's inhabitant has returned and once more he seems unwelcome in the house to which he has lived in for many years. Even though all his past had been burned and restored identically to the old, the owner could still remember all that had occurred in the house. A knock on his door set a reminder.

"Hi, Alex." A redhead with sly green eyes and mystical smile, she was beautiful and charming, but held something that Alex never wanted to pursue further with. She did not make him uneasy, she just made him furious.

"Hello, Rebecca." Alex said as he closed his eyes before reopening them with a sigh as she let herself in and he looked around and then closed the door.

He had no feelings for Rebecca Hamilton. They had met at the bank where she flirted with Alex and Alex obliged her in a friendly contest, but soon he learned who she was and where she stood in the town of White Pine Bay. Bob Paris was one who she had affiliated a lot with and after he had learned of this he found her dirty in sense by being touch from his childhood friend. Childhood friend's all the people of White Pine Bay were, but turned out to be the most evil of people to roam the earth from Keith Summers and Zach Shelby. Keith Summers was a piece of shit he should have gotten rid of a long time ago, but when the new owners of the Seafarer Motel came into town, he figured that Keith wouldn't have a chance, but he never guessed the new owners would be a widow and her son.

"What are you thinking about?" Rebecca huffed as she straddled Alex who was gazing at her chest, but not staring directly. He looked up to meet her eyes which were fogged with lust and her breaths were hot on his face, he blinked a few times.

"I was just thinking of when we first met." He lied, but he never found himself ever honest with Rebecca and he had notice with the passing years that she had slowly began to fall in love with him and he distanced himself from her.

"Really?" She stopped her thrusting as she was surprised to hear this.

"Yeah, I was thinking back to how you flirted with me when I was trying to make a deposit into my account." He joked, Rebecca was young and attractive it was no wonder she was popular amongst men, similar to Blair Watson, but they had bad choices in men.

"Wow, I do remember that. I thought the Sheriff was some old fat guy, but when you walked in I felt my heart flutter like a little school girl." She admitted with a chuckle and he winced slightly at making her happy over nothing. His thoughts hadn't been entirely on her, but about all that's happened just by Norma Bates moving to White Pine Bay. She was like a fire that came and burned everything she touched, but when he met her, her fire seemed to steady, but then it would rival his cool temperature. They were Hot and Cold. And they balanced each other well, but Fire and Ice can never blend, but there were moments where it would become warm, not too hot and not too cold, but warm between the two.

The house was missing warmth. Rebecca's presence did not come close to bringing that warmth, she would come and go, just like the owner, there was no warmth they would bring and the house was cold.

* * *

Romero strode around the supermarket, he walked down each isle picking ingredients for him to cook later or to stock up his fridge, he was Cuban and he craved the Latin food. He remembered his mother, she would always make his favorite food, and she would kiss his temple as he ate happily.

He walked to the checkout counter where he greeted the cashier and then looked around the other checkout counters before looking out the window and seeing the towns people walking down the streets and attending to their daily activities. Everything seemed calm, there was no fire, and he wondered why the fire had stopped or if it would come back.

* * *

He stood outside on the highway with his fellow officers where they were investigating a rough car accident where one was dead and the other being faced with murder. They stood at the scene of one car flipped over and another that was smashed into a tree and there stood a man with his brains all over the steering wheel where forensics went about grabbing the pieces. He had his hands on his belt as he strode back and forth listening to his officer who had arrived at the scene and later to the witness who had found them stranded on the road unconscious, the survivor had crashed out of his window, but unfortunately survived.

"It's alright, Ma'am. You did a good job getting us here, we'll contact his family to let them know, now there is a paramedic over there who will assist you in anything you need. Why don't you go talk to him?" Alex comforted the young woman who had found the drivers and was in shock from seeing the other driver who had been brutally discomposed. She nodded and allowed Alex to place a hand on her gently and guide her to the paramedics who took care of her and put a blanket over her and gave her some oxygen.

"Alright, wrap everything up here and I'll go to the office and contact his family." Alex said as he had walked back to the officer who had arrived on the scene first before going to his SUV and driving back to the station. He slowly passed the BATES MOTEL and his eyes lingered on Norma's window before he shook his head and continued to drive.

* * *

His office was a perfect size, a window with a view, a desk that held his name, and a room that let him know he was important. He had so many different people come in his office, he looked to the two sofa chairs in front of him where he remembered many different bodies inhabiting them. Then he remembered a certain woman with blonde short wavy hair with beautiful make up and a short black dress who tried to seduce him, but not for sex…with her it was never about that. That's what made her different.

He looked through the file on his desk and filled in important information before grabbing his telephone from the receiver and dialing the number in front of him.

"Hello." He heard an older woman's faint voice.

"Hi. I'm Sheriff Romero of White Pine Bay, Oregon. I'm calling on behalf of your husband Nathan Waters." He said calmly as he could hear the woman's breath change and she seemed alarmed.

"Did he get arrested? Is he alright?" She questioned frantically.

This was the hard part. Alex had delivered many call, many knocks, and many letters to let people know of the death of their loved ones. He received many cries, yells, and sometimes punches which in the beginning caught him off guard, but now he could dodge them. He closed his eyes and drew in a breath.

"Ma'am. I'm going to need you to take a seat somewhere. Okay?" He said comfortingly and the woman listened.

"Your husband was in a terrible car accident on his way home from his business trip in Washington, a drunk driver collided with him and he died in the crash," He closed his eyes as he heard the first sob. "I'm very sorry for your loss and the man responsible will face the punishment and be sent to prison. If you can come up her to White Pine Bay Hospital, we can let you take your husband back home and prepare whatever necessary arrangements. Okay, Ma'am?" Alex said comfortingly and he could hear the woman begin to break down before she agreed and hung up on him and Alex held the phone out in front of him before setting it back down.

* * *

He had gone into work at the station at around 5 a.m. and now he was in his SUV driving back home and the clock on the radio read 12 a.m. He squinted his eyes before opening them from exhaustion. He passed his neighbors homes before pulling onto the gravel where he got off the car and locked it behind him.

He opened his front door and locked it behind him before turning back to his home where nothing greeted him. No dog. No family. He sighed as he took off his coat on the small table by the door where he set his keys and when they missed the small bowl and fell on the floor, he reached to grab them before noticing the piano by the wall. His mother used to play when he was a kid, she'd taught him, but he'd stop playing after she died, but kept it as a memento of hers even though it wasn't the piano she used. He could hear her playing, she would sit at it and play sad songs, songs of longing, songs of sorrow, but to Alex he always found a part of her in the melodies. They rang in his ears, he could see her smile and he beautiful soft brown eyes as she watched him play the keys.

Alex sat at the piano and lifted the covering and placed his hands on the keys, his right in the C, D, E, F, G, position and his left on it as well, he remembered the letters and flats. He played a melody she'd always played for him, she would play it over and over. His father did not like her playing, but he never protested when she did and it was because a part of him found her beautiful when she played.

"That's great, Alex. You're getting so good!" He heard her say and he turned to her as a small boy with curly black hair and smile with missing teeth.

"Really, Mom?" Alex said as he played the piano before coming to a stop and shutting it.

"Am I?" He questioned as he got up from the piano and got in the shower where he later went to bed dreaming of his mother.

* * *

The coffee shop was quaint. It had an indie feel to it, the architecture was vintage and the interior was cute, the employees were young and very nice. There was a bakery with an assortment of deserts to go with your drink and Alex chose a donut. He was a simple man and he sat inside the coffee shop near the window, he liked to keep an eye on things. He was like a guard dog.

"Sheriff Bull Dog, is the town under control? No suspicious figures?" A mocking voice spoke from behind him as he turned to the speaker with a small smile.

"Other than the one asking strange questions and disrespecting the Sheriff." He said as Norma chuckled and sat in front of him at the small table, she set her small purse beside her. She wore a blue dress and a dark blue coat, blue was a color which brought out her eyes. She was smiling at him and staring at him with those innocent eyes. It made him hot.

"I'm just kidding. Although, Norman told me that there is a bulldog at the Pet Store who is named Alex and he is very grumpy." Norma mimicked his stoic face and Alex shook his head as he took a sip of his coffee.

"That's funny."

Norma began talking to him about how the Motel is doing really well when she suddenly went quiet and Alex knew that she was going to ask him for something which he probably would not like.

"Hey, Alex." She started with a girly tone and Alex just stared at her with his arms over his chest, waiting for whatever she was going to say when she noticed his posture and change in attitude.

"What's with the look?" She asked as he could hear her begin to get annoyed and the fire she carried around with her was growing hotter.

"You see, there's this thing. I uh…" He saw her hesitate and she lowered her gaze to her hands before she gave him a look of plea, her eyes began to water and he lowered his hands to his sides and was going to reach for her when-.

"Romero, what a pleasant surprise." Rebecca stood in front of them and Norma seemed to look up quickly in question as she looked to her then to Romero. Romero tsked internally as he lowered his hand from almost touching Norma's shoulder. He sat upright before clearing his throat and Rebecca knew that she had interrupted something that was important to him and it was rare for her ever get in between something he focused deeply on due to the distance he put between him and her in the past months since he moved back to his house or since a particular person moved to town.

"Rebecca, this is Norma Bates. She owns the Bates Motel." Romero said to her as he saw Norma light up and shake Rebecca's hand before she looked back to Romero.

"The old Seafarer Motel, right?" She questioned Norma as Norma nodded in reply.

"Yeah."

"I bet Keith Summers wasn't too happy about you buying the place," She said as she knew what had happened to Keith Summers and Zach Shelby and she noticed the change in Norma's face to which Alex immediately responded to.

"He died though so I guess you have nothing to worry about. Thanks to Zach Shelby, he was a handsome young man, it's a shame he had to die." Rebecca said with a smile as she noticed the two of them grow uneasy and Alex arose from his seat and grabbed Rebecca's shoulder quickly while no one noticed due to position.

"I don't know what you're doing, but you need to stop." He whispered before pulling away from her and Norma arose from her seat.

"I have to go Alex. It was nothing." She said as she quickly left and Rebecca almost smirked at the sight. She liked to be in control, Alex was such a mystery to her, he would never talk about himself or about his personal life. But when she passed by the coffee shop and seen the warmth they shared just by talking she felt a sickness engulf her and she couldn't stand to see him with her. She knew there was a dark secret between the two surrounding Keith Summer's death and Zach Shelby's and she would get to the bottom of it.

No one is going to take the man she allowed herself to fall in love with.

* * *

Norma was driving back home as she began crying, she was sobbing really hard and she pulled over where she screamed and slammed her hands on the steering wheel, she pushed her hair from her face.

"Why am I so stupid?" She sobbed as she looked at the crumbled letter beside her which was addressed to her and a small rose lay on top of it. She got off the car and began to throw up on the side of the rode. She wiped her mouth and cursed the letter. She screamed into the forest, ignoring the cars passing by her.

She grabbed the note and lit it on fire with her lighter she'd taken from Dylan.

The letter:

 _Dear Norma Louise,_

 _My dearest Norma Louise Bates._

 _My dearest little sister._

 _I've missed you for so many years._

 _I've missed your beautiful blue eyes and your soft hair that smells of lilac._

 _I miss your voice. I'm coming to see you Norma. I've been looking for you for so many years, but I've finally found you._

 _I'm sorry for what I did to you, but it doesn't have to be like that._

 _I love you Norma Louise. We don't have to be afraid anymore._

 _Mom and Dad are dead and they left us the house._

 _We can live there with your sons and be a family._

 _No will hurt us Norma Louise._

 _I won't let anyone hurt you._

 _I know Dylan is my son and I am going to tell him since you won't._

 _I know you still love me Norma Louise. Even after all these years._

 _Just wait and you'll find me once more on your doorstep._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Caleb Calhoun_

She screamed in disgust as she arrived home and got in the bathtub where she locked the door behind her and cried as she pulled off her clothes, her nails raking her skin and she slid in the tub where she scrubbed off the dirt and filth he had made her feel. She loved her brother, but Dylan was **NOT** his and she was glad, she didn't want him to come back, he was crazy and he could not ever give her up no matter where she went. She screamed and scrubbed her hard all over herself and then submerged her whole body under the water. She remember Caleb's hands, they would grab her roughly from behind and thrust into her, she had never wanted it, from the beginning she didn't understand, but it was not a deep love that he spoke of.

That is not what she felt for him at all. She only ever thought of him as her brother, but when he wanted more and she didn't want to give it, he took it...forcefully and she quickly arose from the water and coughed water out and hugged her knees. She stood there in the tub crying, she sobbed and screamed into her body.

* * *

Romero was infuriated at Rebecca's action, he knew she hadn't caught onto the closeness between him and Norma being other than friendship, but something deeper and he sighed. Rebecca was becoming a problem, she had fallen in love with him and she was a very possessive woman who he never let on. He would just keep his distance from her, but keep a close eye on her and Norma.

He remembered Norma wanted to tell him something. He grabbed his leather jacket to go and see her, but the DEA busted into his office and he knew it was Rebecca's doing.

"Going somewhere, Sheriff?" One DEA officer questioned him as he sighed and cursed to himself, but not because the DEA, but he could feel that there was something terribly wrong and he needed to go and save Norma from whatever she was going to burn or what was going to possibly kill her fire and put her out completely.

* * *

Norma was in the kitchen preparing dinner for her, Norman, and Dylan, they were both out watching a movie together in the village and she stood home to clean up and get things ready for when they come back. She wore a black v-neck long sleeved shirt and dark pants, she had her apron tied around her waist as she had put her hair up in a messy pony tail. She was taking out some casserole from the oven when she heard a knock at the door and she froze, she didn't know what to do, but then the knocking persisted.

"Who is it?" She whispered before grabbing a baseball bat by the door Dylan had left for her just in case she doesn't have a weapon to defend herself with and since she wasn't that sharp with a gun, the bat would do.

She opened the inside door slowly before opening the exterior one quickly and stood in a battle stance ready to attack Caleb when she realized who it was.

"Hello, Norma. Can we talk? Woman to Woman." It was Rebecca with a sinister smile which Norma hadn't noticed and she put on a fake act and set the bat down.

"I thought you were my sons, we've been pulling pranks on each other the past week." She lied as she chuckled from embarrassment and set the bat down by the door once more.

They were in the kitchen, Rebecca held a beautiful cup in her hand with delicious tea, she watched Norma, Norma was nothing like her, she was a mother, she was old fashioned, but very beautiful, Rebecca couldn't deny that. She just couldn't see what Alex saw in her or why he was spending so much time with her, she'd questioned Bob, but he had replied with the "Fools in Love". She didn't believe him, but then she didn't really know Alex and if he was she wouldn't know what it would look like, but Norma had a way with him where she could get him to open up and give her genuine smiles. Rebecca was jealous.

"I'm sorry. I had to leave yesterday in a hurry." Norma said as she took a seat at the table still wearing her apron which was cute and Rebecca smiled.

"No, it's alright. I was just wondering how you know Alex?" She questioned as she notice Norma smile as glance around the room for answers.

"Well, he and Shelby came to the house to welcome us to the town. He's the Sheriff. I'm sure many people know him, like yourself." She motioned to Rebecca who was biting a bunch of words back.

"Yes, I have known him a very long time, but...you just moved here and yet he seems very drawn to you."Rebecca said trying to get Norma to react in some way, but Norma was a tough person to crack and the only person who could do that was Alex.

"He does? I haven't noticed. Trouble just seems drawn to me more than anything and I call the police to help me, so I guess it can seem that way."Norma said sounding geniune to the point where Rebecca was starting to believe there relationship to be innocent and was regretting calling the DEA on Alex when Norma smiled.

"Alex is annoying." Norma laughed and Rebecca's eyebrows shot up at Norma saying his first name. He didn't let anyone call him that, he didn't even like her saying it.

"Really?" Rebecca said surprised as Norma shook her head and sipped her own tea.

"So how long have you and Sheriff Romero known each other?"Norma asked her avoiding talking about her opinion about Alex and she knew Rebecca wasn't just his friend or a civilian who was familiar with the Sheriff. She knew Rebecca was probably sleeping with him or had been. She'd noticed it at the coffee shop, but she chose too be ignorant.

"Long. Norma, I don't know what kind of relationship you have with Alex, but you-" Rebecca was cut off by a knock at the door and Norma froze up and Rebecca noticed this, she noticed Norma looked alarmed.

"Are you expecting someone?"

"It's probably Dylan and Norman." She lied to herself and arose, she opened the door and grabbed the bat once more.

She froze up when she saw his back and his hair, she couldn't believe he was at her door with flowers, she felt sick to her stomach and she wanted to throw up. All the scrubbing and cleaning in the bathtub had been useless the pass month. She felt dirty once more and the way his eyes roamed her body, she wanted to wrap herself up and die.

"Hello, Norma Louise." She heard him say when she opened the door.

"You need to leave." She said in a whisper. She was so terrified, her mind was blank and her body numb. When he motioned towards her she slammed him in the head with the baseball bat and he fell screaming in pain.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" She shouted at him as she slammed the door and locked it up and tears ran down her face. Rebecca quickly arose to see Norma with a bloody wooden baseball bat and her terrified face.

She called the police.

* * *

 **Things are getting deep. You know I have a particular idea for this story, but we always need drama. I intend for this story to be long, like really long.**

 **Anyway, fuck Rebecca, right? Anyway, she'll be very apparent for the next few chapters and Caleb will be as well. The DEA are also going to be along for the next few chapters as well. Dylan isn't Caleb's son. In this version he's not.**

 **I think the story is starting to unfold. I should probably change the summary to the story, but I always like to write things where the reader has to think. Tell me what you guys think. I'm going to keep writing though, for the few of you who are too shy to say anything or the few of you who love the show, but are bummed out that there aren't that many stories on NORMERO.**

 **Next Chapter:** The Truth of the Matter is a Lie


	4. The Truth of the Matter is a Lie

The room was cold and empty, the bright lights shined down on her and she squinted as she blinked awake to find herself in a containment room. She looked around remembering it from when Zach Shelby arrested her for the murder of Keith Summer's. She looked around where everything looked blurry and she tried to get up, but fell and she could hear Norman's voice and she could make out that stupid dog in his arms.

"Norman?" She questioned as she tried to open her eyes wider, but everything was still blurry.

"What happened?" She said to herself.

"Mom?" She heard Dylan say, he sounded worried. She strode around the room grabbing at the air before touching her head which was bandaged and so was her hand.

"Dylan, we have to get her out of there." Norman said with pleading eyes as he began to become worried and clutched Juno to his chest and she whined in response.

"She attacked someone Norman, someone called the police on her and the DEA took Romero, we just have to sit tight and wait." Dylan said putting a comforting hand on Norman's shoulder who looked to his brother before back to Norma who sat back down and blinked a few more times trying to remember what had happened.

* * *

Romero stood being interrogated by the DEA and he was becoming more annoyed when a lawyer who he recognized as being one of the ones who attended Bob Paris's get togethers at the Arcanum Club, he was good at getting guilty people out of tough situation much tougher than the heat they were pouring on Alex because of Rebecca's jealousy. He didn't want to accept the lawyer's help because he knew Bob would want something in return and he most likely would not like to cover one of his messes of laundering or murder.

"I'm here to represent Sheriff Alex Romero." The short man spoke as the DEA huffed in annoyance and began to throw accusations before something caught Romero's ear.

"We know about the pot fields, Romero. You'll be charged for corruption and sent away for a long time."

"No, he won't." His newfound lawyer said as he set the suitcase down on the silver desk.

"Listen," Romero leaned forward. "If there are fields as you say, this is news to me, I have no knowledge of marijuana being grown in or out of this area." He finished as he leaned back in his chair and the two-officers looked to eachother before one of them slammed opened the door and left while the other behind the double-sided mirror let out a long-frustrated sigh and scratched her head. Romero was a tough person to crack, he cleaned up after himself well, he left not a single trace, no connections, there was not a single bit of dirt to bring him down, but yet it was there…the DEA knew it, but they had nothing to tie him to any of it. The call they got was an enemy of his who wanted to see him suffer and they knew that he would slip up eventually if someone knew such things about him.

"Listen, to me, tell Bob Paris, that he needs to take care of his rat." Romero said as he arose and they both exited the room where Romero grabbed his jacket once more and gun before one of his officers came up to him with urgent news. The station was in chaos with the DEA scum ransacking the place to criminals coming in and out and phone's ringing everywhere. It was giving him a headache to just look at and even hear, he could only hear his own breathing as he grabbed the file from his officer and walked out of the station from the back.

"Alex, why aren't you ever honest with me?" He heard Rebecca say as she stood leaning on his SUV and he huffed and looked around to see if anyone was watching them when he let out a frustrated groan stomping hard towards, but never touched her.

"Listen very closely, I'm only going to tell you this once, stay away from me. Rebecca. This little game we had is over, it's been over for a long time and you need to move on." He said harshly as he glared hard into her green eyes that were full of sarcasm, she lived to bring people down and he could not stand for it any longer. Her smile seemed to fall.

"Next time, think before calling the DEA. Bob Paris isn't too happy about this immature act you pulled. He'll be seeing you later."

She seemed alarmed and grabbed Alex by the arm which he pulled away and he heard her pleading to him.

"DEA? I didn't call them. Why would I? I have my own reasons to stay away from them. I swear to God, Alex. I didn't call them." She was crying and scratching at him as he reached to open his door when he thought for a moment.

"Then what are you doing here?" He glared at her as he felt a knowing feeling and searched her face for answers when her sobs and pleas went silent and he knew she'd done something. Something terrible.

"Why are you never honest with me?" She asked again and looked up into his eyes full of hate towards her and he looked away from her and reached to open his car door once more.

"That, bitch, Norma Bates," He froze at the name. "Are you screwing her, is that it?" She questioned him harshly as she flung her hand out in frustration. He didn't show any sign of hesitation at her words as he placed the file inside the car and looked back to her.

"Stay away from me, Rebecca or I might have to arrest you. As for Norma Bates, is a business owner here in White Pine Bay who I have worked closely with due to the murders that have damaged her investments reputation. Leave her alone, she has nothing to do with me." He said regretting the last part, but Norma wasn't really special in a sense to him, she was just a peculiarity in his life that would collide with him and confuse him. She was a fire that would burn him and he would be engulfed in it. He was the Sheriff and he didn't favorite anyone, not even Norma Bates.

"That is such horse shit." Rebecca said through gritted teeth as she let out a small laugh. "I went to see her not too long ago at her house," Alex shifted uncomfortably.

"You went to her house?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd get to know her, see why you've fallen in love with her."

"I'm not in love with anyone. This conversation is over. Go home Rebecca and stay away from me and Norma Bates." He said getting in the SUV.

"She says your annoying." Rebecca said as Alex face was stoic as he held onto the door handle and bit hard on his jaw.

"Yeah, I can be when there's been at least 4 deaths on her property and I keep showing up and ruining her image. Goodbye, Rebecca." Alex said shutting the door leaving her in the back-parking lot and driving home.

* * *

The lights were brighter this time, there were more noises, beeping sounds, and the smell of medicine and plastic. The woman lying on the bed shifted around as she strained her eyes open to see her surroundings but found it only blurry. She could hear a voice calling out to her and she strained so much to hear who it was.

"Norman?" She questioned as she tried sitting up and the pair of arms grabbed a hold of her body as she leaned onto them.

"Oh, Norman. What happened?" Norma questioned her youngest son, but he said nothing to her and she pulled away trying to strain her eyes open more to see who exactly the person was.

"Norma Louise."

Norma's eyes shot open and she pushed the body away from her and began screaming and fell off the bed pulling the I.V. out of her arm.

"Someone help ME! Nurse! Doctor! SomeONE!" She screamed and tried to crawl away when a nurse came to help her.

"Mrs. Bates, you need to calm down." A nurse said to her as she looked up to meet a black woman with kind eyes and she cried.

"He's a dangerous man. I don't want him here, call the police. He wants to kill me!" Norma pleaded to her and the nurse assured her as she rubbed her head.

"You just had a bad dream, Mother." Norman said as he looked very worried and sleep deprived, Dylan was beside him.

She looked at her two sons, she took in both of their appearances, she looked to Norman, he had brown brushed hair, soft green blue eyes and a warm smile, he was such a sweet boy, he would always follow her around and do everything for her and now he was growing into a man. She looked to Dylan who had seemed a man from the very beginning when she had him, he had always had a scowl on his face with his dirty blonde hair and scruff, but now he seemed to calm down, he had forgiven Norma and she felt as if she regained the years that she lost with him, but she loved both of them so much. When looking at them, she didn't see the men they were, but the little boys they were to her, she could see Norman's curls and big green eyes and Dylan's grumpy little face with his blonde curls as well. She began to tear up and hugged them close to her, hooking each arm around their necks.

"My babies…" She cried into their hair and kissed each of their heads as they caressed her back.

"We love you too, Mom." Dylan said looking to Norman who nodded in return as they kissed her cheeks filled with tears.

"What happened to me?" She asked looking to each of them for answers.

"Someone called the police on you, saying you attacked some man before almost attacking another bystander who called the police on you, but the police couldn't find the man you beat as he had run off." Dylan told her as she drew in a nervous breath and put her hand to her lip and looked around the room paranoid.

"So, it was real? He really did come back." She whispered as Norman and Dylan looked to eachother in question when Norman leaned down on the bed towards her.

"Who, Mother? Who came back?"

"My-My-My Br-Brother Caleb." She said through her clenched teeth as her face scrunched up and she began crying once again.

"Brother?" Dylan looked confused.

"You need to stay away from him. Don't let him in the house, he's dangerous and crazy." She said seriously as she glared at both of them and her mood turned dark and they knew she was serious.

"I need to get out of here."

* * *

Caleb had hit the floor hard, the bat barely missed his temple, but did get his jaw and cheekbone hard, she cracked a few ribs and he had been writhing on her porch in pain. He didn't think she'd react in such a way, he pictured her in her beautiful outfits, a beautiful white shirt and high waisted skirt and the glow that followed her everywhere. She looked terrified when she opened the door and she didn't hesitate hitting him before she went back in the house and he heard another woman's voice.

"Norma, what have you done?"

"He's dangerous. We need to call the police." He heard Norma say and he tried to get up, but she beat him pretty bad with the wooden bat, he was surprised it was still intact.

"Okay, we will."

He slowly got up to his feet when he peered in through the door and saw Norma turn her back to the woman and grab her phone by the desk in the hallway where her car keys were. She was dialing 911 when he saw the other woman with red hair hit her over the head with the bat and he saw Norma fall to the floor bleeding. He teared up and tried to go to her when he noticed the redhead going back inside to clean her tracks and he heard her call the police from Norma's telephone in the kitchen. He grabbed his bag and limped down the stairs before anyone could find him, he could hear her curse in the distance as he drove off.

Now he stood in a motel room, bandaging up his stomach and crack his jaw back into place before downing some liquor to take the pain away. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror before screaming in frustration, his hand gripped both sides of the sink as his knuckles turned white and his skin went red from the anger boiling deep inside.

Norma Louise meant everything to him, she was what he greeted in the morning when the sun shined on him through the blinds of his home in Costa Rica. He could see her lying next to him with her innocent smile and her beautiful blue eyes he had never layed eyes but hers, there was no other woman he could find with the same shade. Her hair was soft and smelled good, she had a familiar smell and it would linger with whatever she would touch. He longed for her. When she left him, he missed her and searched for her, always keeping a watchful eye on her, but then she had disappeared and he couldn't find her anywhere.

He had been on a computer searching for her and he came across a website called the BATES MOTEL located near Portland, Oregon in a town known as White Pine Bay. He remembered her husband's surname was Bates and he clicked on the page and a picture of her came up with her son Norman. He had felt a heaviness in his chest as he could not believe it was really her, she had not aged a bit, she was still beautiful and she still carried a glow with her. He set out immediately to go and see her, he wouldn't let her go this time. He had convinced himself that the only reason she had left was to get away from their parents, but now that they were dead than this mean they could finally be together.

It hit him that she hated him. That the love that he thought she had for him was not as strong as the one he had for her. He slammed his fist down on the bathroom sink.

"Dammit!" He cursed.

"Norma…" He sobbed.

* * *

"I don't know what the fuck she was doing?" A tall man with a glass of scotch in hand said as he was seated on a luxurious sofa, there was a bar in the living area which was grand and large, apart from sat a similar sofa with another man who was not too happy.

"Honestly, she came to me yelling about how she was not going to lose you. Bitch has lost it honestly, I was just joking with her when she asked if I thought you were in love with the strong-willed motel owner Norma Bates." Bob Paris said taking a sip of his scotch as one leg was over the other and the Sheriffs were spread apart and leaned forward, they were both wearing suits.

"She's taken such a joke for literal information and now she's landed not just me, but you in hot water." Alex said in a serious tone as his childhood friend set his glass down and folded his hands in his lap.

"Listen, I looked into that matter. She didn't contact the DEA, she's not that crazy. Someone else did, an enemy of both me and yours. I'm taking care of it though, Alex, you have something more important to take care of." Bob Paris said with an innocent smirk, Bob Paris was a very dangerous successful man who has gotten away with so much that Alex didn't even liked to think about.

"And what might that be?" Alex asked as he cocked his head at him with a serious look when Bob Paris leaned forward in his seat spreading his legs apart.

"This crazy town and all of its inhabitants. For starters, why don't you check up on your little friend Norma Bates, I heard she was in jail while the DEA was chewing you out, but the charges against her were dropped due to insufficient evidence and the fact that it appeared that someone had rather attacked her instead of the other way around. She's not dangerous, right, Alex?"

Alex's long dark eyelashes were steady for a long moment as he took in the information Bob Paris just told him and thought back to the parking lot a week ago, where Rebecca confronted him. That's why she was at the police station, did she want to see him and her in the act, whatever act she had thought up which was not real. He remembered her and the file he set down in his car, the file was addressed to a Bates, but he didn't read into it and it was still in his car.

"That's what this town is. I clean up after all of you and make sure you stay in each of your lanes. Rebecca is barking up the wrong tree, take care of your bitches, Bob." Romero said as he arose and was getting ready to leave.

"What is the truth?" Bob asked him with the same innocent smile and his large eyes filled with curiosity.

"The truth of the matter is that I don't favorite anyone in this town, after my mother died that is the last person that I ever gave anything to and no one else. Remember that, Bob. Sheriffs can't play love and war at the same time." He said as he waved to Bob and went home. Bob merely shrugged and sat in comfortable silence.

* * *

Another month had passed and it was November, the house was decorated with an assortment of Thanksgiving theme decorations. Norma wore seasonal colors, her blouse was a warm orange and her skirt was black with a yellow belt, she had a cute head band as she vacuumed the living room with a smile. Norman was in the kitchen helping out washing the dishes and drying them before putting them in the cupboards, he was listening to classical music through his white earphones with Juno beside him on the floor following him back and forth. He wore a seasonal black shirt and brown khakis with converse, his hair was combed neatly and his coat was hung near the door. Dylan was in the back-fighting weeds and chopping wood, the house was peaceful and warm as they were planning on restoring it with the extra funds left over from the profits they earned in the pass year.

Dylan was piling wood in a neat stack at the side of the house near the back door, he stacked them all on top of eachother neatly, and grabbed the weeds and dead grass he cut into bags, he had taken off his sleeved shirt and was in his undershirt which was stained with sweat. He wiped his mouth of sweat before wiping his head when a girl with light brown wavy locks appeared in front of him with fresh water.

"Hey, Emma." He greeted breathlessly as he grabbed the glass from the small tray she brought out and he took a break on the small bench in the back. Emma sat beside him, her hair was braided and she wore a yellow sweater with red pants and her oxygen tank beside her.

"Hey, Dylan. Norma told me you guys are trying to restore the house." She said with a runny nose, she always sounded sick, but Dylan had gotten used to it and had grown close to her recently from hanging around Norman more. The Marijuana business was thriving to the point where he was planning on opening his own small farm on his own little property, legally though. He always wanted his own place, a beautiful little wooden home with a view of the larges lakes and ocean and mountains. The air was awesome in Oregon versus Arizona when he grew up there with Norma and her second husband who had been really abusive. He remembered the air being really hot and thick, but it was nothing compared to Oregon and he wondered if Emma could smell it, real air.

"Hey, Emma…"

"Yes, Dylan." She looked to him in question with her large brown eyes, they were full of innocent curiosity and lit up whenever he spoke to her.

"Can you, well, I don't know if this is a rude question, but," He was stuttering over his own words as he didn't want to offend her, but she seemed to smile at his struggle and he could see her cute dimples forming.

"Can you-."

"Dylan! Come in, I made lunch." Norma yelled as she slammed opened the back door where she didn't see Dylan anywhere until she turned around the corner to the side of the house where Dylan sat with Emma drinking fresh water with lemon in it. He had cooled down, but he'd noticed his mom with a certain crazy smile and seeing the both of them sitting together.

"Mom?" He stared back at her and Emma arose.

"I just gave him some water, he looked like he was getting tired." Emma said with a sweet smile as she held onto her own glass and grabbed his.

"Why don't you join us for lunch too, Emma?" She said happily as she guided Emma inside the house wrapping an arm around her and shooting Dylan a sparkle in her eye which he rolled his eyes at. Emma was in high school, what the hell was Norma conspiring?

They went inside and were greeted by a table with neat made club sandwiches and potato chips and freshly made strawberry lemonade which Norman had prepare for them, the strawberry smeared across the apron and on his hands. Norman smiled at the both of them as Dylan went upstairs to get a fresh shirt and Emma went to sit near Norman, Norma sat on the opposite side. Dylan arrived back and sat opposite of Emma and they began eating. The house had been flipped, they'd been cleaning like crazy and sorting things out that were important and nonimportant, they were organizing everything neatly, but the furniture stayed.

Emma remembered the house, but never like this, she would pass by it and grimace, it looked haunted from the outside and she never dared to even know how it looked on the inside. When Norma came, and let her in, there was a change, the house no longer seemed frightening, on the outside it still kind of did, but Dylan had cut the grass and mowed the lawn and put some shrubs in the ground and Norma had ordered some flowers to grow. The house was beginning to look friendly, much more than the home had ever been, even when it was first built.

"You really bring a glow in this house, Norma." Emma found herself saying as Norma was chewing a piece of her sandwich. She smiled sweetly at Emma after rinsing her mouth with the strawberry lemonade.

"Thank you, Emma. People have always told me that, when I was pregnant with Norman and Dylan people would say I just oozed with the motherhood glow. I guess it never left me." Norma said as Dylan and Norman looked at eachother and noticed Emma and Norma begin to talk about girl things which made them slightly uncomfortable when she started mentioning embarrassing stories of them as little boys and the bubble baths they shared. Emma burst out laughing before she started coughing a bit.

"You guys would have bubble baths together? That is so cute." Emma cooed as she clutched her hands to her chest and Dylan let out a small chuckle as Norman tried denying it.

"We were just kids and Mother thought it be better to kill two birds with one stone."

"Oh, they loved it! They would play with their little battleship boats and blow bubbles at eachother." Norma said with the glass of lemonade to her lips as she pointed to both them as Emma began to laugh harder which she apologized for and Norma began laughing too into the drink which she coughed all over herself.

"Mom." Dylan said with a smirk as he found it amusing to hear them laughing and Norman just wore a dumb smile at seeing their laughing fit.

"I even have pictures. They were such cute little boys." Norma was getting up before Dylan stood up.

"Okay, Mom. Let's not do that."

Norma laughed and whispered a dick joke to him which he just gave her a look of shock and she laughed before the doorbell rang and she went to answer it.

"Hello?" She said mid laugh.

"Norma."

"Romero?" She was taken aback as she let him in quickly and gave him a quick hug.

"Here come in, were just having lunch. Join us." She insisted as she had already started pulling off his coat.

"I heard about what happened." Romero said suddenly and Norma stiffened as she folded his leather jacket neatly in her arms.

"In the coffee shop, I wanted to tell you-." Another knock interrupted them, Romero opened it to find a man with a scared cheekbone and bloodshot eyes, he had blond hair with grey shirt and thin jacket and a letter with a flower. Norma's eyes widened and she gripped Alex's hand.

"Norma Louise?" Caleb looked to her with guilty eyes and she looked at him with eyes full of tears and her mouth reddening readying to grow red with tears and fear. It was shame that radiated over her body every time she seen him, it made her feel dirty, but Alex was here and she felt…safe.

"Who are you?" Alex questioned with an eyebrow and a serious tone as he had felt Norma grip his hand hard and she was shaking.

"I'm her brother, Caleb."

* * *

 **Things are really getting intense. The whole DEA and criminal activities I'm not very familiar with or know how to describe so I'll go more into depth with that in later chapters. So, Caleb has made his appearance, but he's delusional...sort of.**

 **I feel that Bob Paris and Romero seem like good friends in a sense that they understand where each other stand and they both respect each others ground so Bob will be slightly different, we'll be seeing him later though. There is like so much foreshadowing I've been putting like I'm not even going to say anything, but um the story is going to go a good direction so.**

 **Things are gonna go crazy next chapter. So Norma's lived in White Pine Bay for almost 2 years, I know I don't know where my timeline is, but let's roll with it.**

 **Next Chapter:** Brotherly Love Vs. The Sheriff of White Pine Bay


	5. Brotherly Love vs The Sheriff of WPB

"Norma Louise." Caleb said once more as Romero stood protectively in front of Norma holding the door open for the stranger who had just said he was Norma's brother, they did look alike, but there was something off about him. He knew Norma didn't like telling the truth and he always respected her for it because she didn't trust anyone and in this tough world it's hard to find someone to trust. Especially as Sheriff in a crazy town filled with crime which he slipped under the carpet and the townspeople masked with a quaint peaceful town.

He looked Caleb up and down, his cheekbone was bruised up from a very hard blunt object either a bat or pipe, his posture was a bit forward and he seemed to shift uncomfortably which could suggest trauma to the abdomen, fractured ribs from Alex's guess, being in the military had given Alex such knowledge of deduction after seeing many of his fellow marines injured or he himself carrying around an injury. Caleb's outfit seemed ill put together which suggested he didn't live around the states and his skin color was too tan and red to be from California or Nevada or from Arizona. He could smell a hint of small alcohol, nothing heavy, but he probably stopped at a local bar before coming to see Norma, but by the looks of it this wasn't a reunion. He had been in this exact position before.

"I didn't know you had a brother." Romero said nonchalantly looking to Norma, giving him an opening on deciding what to do next, but Norma seemed frozen, her eyes were filled with fear and tears. Her jaw tightened as she let Alex's hand go and he watched her close the door behind her and pushed Caleb off the porch.

"You need to leave! Don't ever come back here again! Do you understand me!" She yelled at him as she pushed him down the stairs and Romero couldn't really hear what she was saying, but he could see she was really upset as tears were running down her face and the fire within her was lit and furious.

"Norma, please. I came for forgiveness. A fresh start." He said with a guilty smile and she realized it wasn't just her shame she felt every time she saw him, but he had it too, he carried it with him for so long that he never learned to let it go. She felt slightly sorry for him before she remembered the creepy letter he had sent her three months ago, and was even more mad.

"You think you can come here and decide what's going to happen with me and my sons?" She said in a more serious tone as she shot him an angry look and pointed to her chest hitting it hard leaving a red mark.

"No one gets in between me and my sons! Do you understand me?!" She shouted at him as he tripped over a step as she kept walking forward and he seemed to try and form words when he threw both his arms in the air wincing at his side.

"Dylan's my son." He said and Norma went quiet for a moment before she slapped him and hit him. She was yelling and screaming. She was so mad at him, he had ruined her life, everything she ever knew was him and their parents. She trusted him. He was her older brother and he took advantage of her.

"He is NOT your son! I had a test done later after he was born. He's John's." She told him as he grew upset and looked to the ground, Romero was watching the whole scene from the window, but he couldn't really hear what they were saying.

"I don't believe that! Why don't I tell both of your sons the truth about you and me! You're always trying to hide things away and pretend to be a different person, but you're NOT!" He yelled at her and was losing his temper as he walked closer to her.

"You son of a bitch! Get OUT of here! Never come back!" She yelled as she kicked him and pushed him away before he hugged her legs and she tried to pull him away.

"Please, Norma. Please, I need you to forgive me. I can't live with this. It's been haunting me all these years what I did to you." Caleb cried into her skirt as he hugged her tight and she struggled to pull him off before she began to cry again. She hugged him slightly as she knew that the turmoil they'd gone through had both affected them, but he was her brother and how could she deny her own brother.

"Caleb, you can't be here. You can't be in my life." She said apologetically as he looked up to her, he had waited for so long to see those eyes, those blue eyes that he could never find on any other person. She carried an air about her that he was drawn into and he never wanted to let go, he never wanted to let go of her, but she was slipping from his hands once again. He couldn't lose her again.

"Norma Louise, please." He pleaded to her. She looked down at him, he was shaking all around her, tears were falling from his guilty grey eyes and it hurt her to see her brother in such a way.

"Caleb, what you did cannot be undone, it will always be there, when we see eachother, it will remind us of what happened. Forgiveness cannot fix what you've already done." She said as he hugged her legs tight and cried.

"I'm so sorry. Norma Louise. I never meant to hurt you…" He sobbed as she cried as well, they had such a distance between them now, they used to be so close as children, but Norma had grown afraid of Caleb and when she got knocked up by John, she took the first ticket out of her life from Caleb. She decided that her past was not going to be who she was and she made up her own family story to tell Dylan and Norman because she was ashamed. She had done taboo and hadn't realized it until after her mother told her.

"You need to go Caleb." She said calmly as she tried to rip his arms away from her waist, but he was holding her tight to the point where she had to try and balance herself.

"Norma, can I at least spend one last day with you." Norma hesitated and Caleb noticed this. "And after that day, I'll disappear from your life forever, you'll never hear back from me ever again." He said with tears pouring out of his eyes and Norma tore herself away from him and put her hands on her hips thinking.

"You can come for Thanksgiving, but before then, stay the fuck away from me, Dylan, Norman, or anywhere in this area." She said as she walked back up the stairs back to the house where Romero was waiting for her by the door with a concerned look, but she shook her head and walked passed him and upstairs to the bathroom ignoring Norman who asked who was at the door. Romero appeared and greeted them.

"Hey, guys, Norma caught something in her eye when she opened the door for me, she's cleaning her eye out. Anyway, you got any more of those sandwiches?" He lied for her, but all 3 of the youths seemed to believe his words to be genuine and hadn't caught on to anything amiss, the house's walls were pretty thick that it was quite hard to hear what was going on outside, but partially was because there was light music playing from Dylan's phone that stood connected to a portable radio he put in the kitchen where they were casually talking. Emma had gotten up to prepare his plate and set it down beside Dylan who shook his hand and Romero tore the sandwich up, he was starving. It was lunch time and he'd figure he'd go to see Norma to ask her about what had happened a month ago. He'd kept his distance with her because of Rebecca, she had been persistent in her hunt to make him completely hers, but the station was becoming filled with dozens of reports and two drug families were breathing down his neck about the DEA and a couple pot fields which were confiscated by the DEA. The chaos he had been looking for decided to just come back and land him in a very stressful position.

"I'm sorry about that." Norma reappeared with her eyes appearing very red which alarmed everyone at the table.

"It was a large piece of weed dust particles that got in her eyes, it was all over the door." He said as he massaged Norma's shoulder and she gave him small smile.

"That might have been my fault. I left some bags out near the front, the wind must have pushed some out of it." Dylan apologized as Norma shook her head and reached for her glass of lemonade.

"Now, where were we?" Norma said as she fixed herself at the table before Norman and Dylan suspiciously went quiet and were drinking their lemonade. Emma had a wide grin and Romero stared at her in question as he munched on a potato chip.

"Your bubble bath photos!" Norma squealed as she got out of the chair once more and raced up the stairs and Norman and Dylan quickly got out of their chairs.

"Mom, no!"

"It's embarrassing." Norman added as they rushed after her and she was laughing upstairs as they wrestled the photobook from her hands.

* * *

The days nearing towards Thanksgiving and problems in the town seemed to die down, at least for the holidays, but come the new year, there would a new problem much greater than all the others. There was one year when Alex was still in the beginning years being a Sheriff, there was a murderer in town who had killed around 3 people until they finally caught him and it turned out to be one of the people in town. One of the innocent shop owners, he would lure them to his house where he'd kill them.

Today, in particular was too calm for Alex's liking, he expected a shooting, or a bomb threat, or something, but he knew small towns don't tend to attract much attention, there was crime, but none he was anticipating for. He had gone to different scenes of car accidents, domestic abuse, drugs, and grand theft auto. He sat in the usual quaint shop he goes in to get his lunch and he saw Rebecca sitting solemnly by the window with her basic salad and cup full of green juice. He completely ignored her which he knew she was probably boiling with anger by being ignored, he could feel her burning holes in his jacket as he ordered some food.

"Thank you." He says to the young cashier who hands him his receipt and number, he turns around to look out the large wall windows and outside he sees Caleb walking down the street and then he notices Caleb stop and duck behind a tree which makes Alex raise an eyebrow. He hears his name and goes to grab his food, ignoring Rebecca's silent argument with him as he walks out and follows after Caleb.

"How long are you in town for?" He questioned politely as Caleb jumped and turned quickly around and smiled nervously as he shook hands with Romero.

"I don't think we've met..." Caleb said letting out a nervous laugh as Romero took his hand and Caleb felt caution around Romero, he hadn't realized he was a cop.

"No, we didn't. I'm Alex Romero. Most people call me Sheriff Romero." He insisted on the last part to which Caleb happily obliged to not wanting to step on his feet and land himself in county for the warrant hanging over him.

"I'm Caleb Calhoun, Norma's older brother." He said and Romero tilted his head.

"Norma's surname is Calhoun?"

"Yeah, but she's been married twice so she took on her husband's names. Which I'm sure you know…" Caleb mumbled the last bit which confirmed Alex's theory on Dylan being from someone else which he could now assume was from her first marriage.

"I see. You have time to chat?" Romero said as Caleb scratched his head nervously and turned around over his shoulder before looking back to Sheriff Romero. He didn't want to be anywhere near Romero because of his warrant and he didn't know if the Sheriff had heard him and Norma arguing, but he decided to not raise anymore suspicion and agreed to go with Sheriff Romero down the street near the docks where they sat and drank a beer far from any other people within earshot which Caleb noticed and was ready to leave, but it was too late.

"Norma didn't seem too happy about you showing up at her doorstep." Alex said as he drank his beer and Caleb coughed nervously as he was beginning to sweat knowing the cat was out of the bag and the Sheriff had heard the whole conversation.

"Me and Norma, didn't have a good childhood, our parents weren't ever really in the picture and we had to look after eachother, but I broke the trust between us and she left. She's been mad at me since, I've been trying to get in contact with her, but she turns me away each time." Caleb said as Alex felt himself step into territory he shouldn't have and Norma would not like him knowing this personal information unless it came from her own mouth and he quickly stood up.

"I'm sure Norma will forgive you. She's stubborn but she always comes around." Alex said nonchalantly as he threw the can in the trash barrel beside him. Caleb had done something that made Norma completely afraid of him and angry with him, Alex didn't know what it was, but he knew it was none of his business unless she told him herself.

"Listen, stay out of trouble while you're here. I don't want to have to arrest you." Alex joked as he began walking when Caleb stood up.

"Do you think she'll come around?" Caleb asked him.

"She's your sister. How can siblings deny eachother over something that happened years ago?" Alex said nonchalantly once more as he hurried to get away from Caleb fearing he might hear something he knows he shouldn't. He waved goodbye to Caleb and went back to his car in town.

* * *

The house up on the hill from the BATES MOTEL was beginning to appear brighter, but the snowfall was coming early and Dylan decided to wait on any further installment from the outside as they would be ruined from the snowfall and storm that was coming.

"A clean house, is a perfect house." Norma said sitting down on the couch in the living room where she took off her apron and set it down on the floor and drifted off to sleep.

" _Hey Norma Louise." A younger Caleb called out to her and she turned to look at him from where he stood on a tree stump standing tall and flexing his arm muscles._

" _What, Caleb?" She replied with an annoyed look at his failure of a gun show as they were outside playing in the forest when she went up to Caleb at the foot of the tree stump._

" _Can I try standing on it? I want to feel big." She asked her brother with a bright smile and he leaned down and picked her up to stand next to him on the stump and she could see things in a new perspective._

" _I feel big." She said with a laugh and Caleb hugged his sister._

" _You are Norma Louise. You're a big strong woman!" He said through gritted teeth as he flexed once more and she mimicked him, they had a contest to see who could push who off and they ended up both falling and scraping themselves in the process._

" _I love you Norma Louise." He told her when they layed in the grass fields deep in the open area of the forest where they would stare up into the sky and pretend they were in another part of the world and not in the hell they lived in._

" _I love you too, Caleb." She said turning to him with a warm smile as they stared longingly at eachother before she broke it and looked back into the sky._

Norma later woke up with tears in her eyes as she had dreamed of a memory of them when they were still young and living in that house. She turned to look at the clock that read 3:40 p.m., she arose quickly realizing Norman would be coming home soon from school and she went to look for Juno who was asleep on Norman's bed.

"He's coming home, soon." She told the dog who barked in response.

"You want to help me make dinner for him?" She asked Juno who tilted her head in question before barking in agreement and following her down the stairs. She grabbed her apron once more and wrapped it around her waist and took out several ingredients which she began to cut and prepare.

"It's gets lonely here, Juno. I mean when Norman and Dylan were younger it was nice to be home because they were so close to me and I could play with them, but now they barely even hang around me, I don't get to see them until the late afternoon and usually there too tired to do anything." She told Juno who listened to her intently.

"It's just I know being a mother is providing and caring for your kids, but I wish I had some kind of entertainment or something to busy myself with. Do something productive besides cleaning the house and laundry." Juno ran onto the piano and put a paw down on one of the keys which Norma responded to.

"The piano, yes it has been a long part of my life. I should play it from time to time, but Juno I mean something that is productive besides playing songs I already know." Norma was venting from the stress of being alone most of the day cleaning and doing laundry.

"I know! Juno!" She picked Juno up her looked to her in question.

"I'll start sewing again. I used to do it all the time." She said excitedly as Juno barked in agreement and slid from her hands and raced upstairs to grab a ball of yarn.

"I'm not an old lady just yet, Juno." Norma said as she grabbed the yarn from the dog's mouth and set it above the fridge as she went about preparing dinner with new ideas for clothes and curtains in the house as well as bed sheets.

"I need friends." She said pausing later when she was halfway done cooking and Juno whined.

* * *

The snow had begun to really settle in to the town of White Pine Bay and Norma decided to go into town leaving Norman to tend to the Motel. She was walking down the town to get some materials and threads she would use for sewing some new ideas she'd come up a week ago.

November 17, 10:30 a.m.

Her IPhone read as she checked it for the list she'd compiled on one of her apps, she examined the list before looking at the descriptions of each of the materials when she noticed out of the corner of her eye a woman across the street watching her or was now approaching her. The woman looked familiar as if Norma had seen her somewhere before, she had red wavy hair and a pretty young face. She wore a dark coat and black dress pants with black heals, she took of her dark shades when entering the store. Norma pretended not to notice her in case this was a coincidence that the redhead had just been staring her at the moment she looked out the window.

"Norma Bates." She turned around to meet the green eyes of the mysterious redhead from across the street.

"Oh, um, yes that's me." She smiled nervously looking around the store before looking back to the redhead.

"Hi, I'm Rebecca Hamilton, we met in the coffee shop about a month ago." She said holding a gloved hand out which Norma nodded and shook.

"Oh, I think I remember you, you're A-Sheriff Romero's friend." She caught herself slipping when she almost said Alex's name, but Rebecca hadn't seemed to notice as she kept smiling, but indeed she'd noticed.

"Yeah, um, I went over your house and we never got to finish our talk. The woman to woman, one?" Rebecca said as she stared Norma in the eyes who hadn't seemed to remember any talk they had at her house.

"My house? What were we talking about?" Norma questioned with a curious smile as she had no idea about the talk or the visit or the fact that Rebecca lowkey tried killing her and blaming it as a home invasion if it weren't for the fact that the invader had got up and left.

"Men."

"Of course, almost anything most women are age talk about." Norma laughed in response as she had wondered what was missing from her life and very much a love life or companion to say the least.

"I think we should get together and go out to find us some suitors, you know a girl thing, what do you say?" Rebecca asked as Norma looked a bit hesitant after being forced to go to that Garden Party with Christine, she didn't want to run into any more people like that, but Rebecca didn't appear to be in any type of group like them so Norma being the open person she was, agreed.

"Sure. God knows it's been quite some type since I've received some male action and as a mother of two boys, it's been a long time." Norma admitted whispering the last part which Rebecca laughed at, trying to win over Norma's trust which seemed to be working.

"How wonderful. I'll pick you up at your house and we'll go from there." Rebecca said with a innocent smile, but inside she was conjuring a deep secret plan that would affect the events to occur in White Pine Bay.

* * *

 **It's starting to get real intense. I keep saying that, but I really mean it. Like things are going to get like really intense, I know there hasn't been much Normero, but it's a slowburn, so as you can see the mutual understanding between the two is there, but it hasn't been initiated and I personally like slow beginnings because if things are rushed it seems a bit unrealistic. The wedding between them in the show was rushed, but it kind of just fell into place naturally so I'm trying to give the same effect of a natural occurrence.**

 **Caleb is a strange person to write on because we don't see him much in the show, but he seems to be genuinely in love with his sister, like he actually cares for her deeply, but he knows it's wrong, but at the same time he can't help it. So I feel kind of sorry for him in a sense that he just doesn't seem to be able to move on from her, like I don't think it's even about forgiveness he wants, but just to be with her.**

 **That doesn't excuse what he did to her though, that was wrong.**

 **Alex, Alex, we need some more of him. Next chapter we'll see more, _a lot_ more. **

**Also, Rebecca is up to no good. I lowkey wanted to write her as being best friends with Norma to like settle a truce between them, but I don't think it would work because Rebecca is like really possessive. To me she seems so.**

 **Next Chapter:** Arcanum Club


	6. Arcanum Club

**Rated M.**

 **Please be aware.**

 **Mild Adult themes. Sexual Themes.**

* * *

A loud ringing noise was echoing out through a frozen house, every object stood in its place unmoving or not touched even slightly, the rooms held no presence except for one room where an anomaly layed underneath a thick jade comforter and on soft pillows. A night stand stood on the left side of the bed with a lamp, watch, keys, and the phone where the loud ringing was coming from, it vibrated along the cool surface before a large hand slammed over it.

"Hello?" A groggy voice managed to say through a deep intake of air as they shifted onto their side.

"Alex, my friend, listen I'm throwing another one of my awesome parties at the Arcanum Club and before you say no, I managed to seal a deal with one of the lead investigators on the DEA who is willing to turn the other way from the Weed business if you'll agree to meet to his terms tonight, alright?" It was Bob Paris calling at 3:00 a.m. in the dead of morning when the frogs were croaking and moths flying into bright lights.

"No."

"Alex, bud, this is really important for the both of us, okay, this isn't just a sex party this time, this is a business party slash private rooms for private guests." Bob held a more serious tone as Alex held his eyes closed and was dozing off.

"Alex, talk to me buddy. You in or you out? This is important, you're the Sheriff, you're a force to be reckoned with." Alex knew this tone, his childhood friend was a hard one to converse with, he held on this friendly exterior and yet the next moment he's shooting a bullet into your head.

"Yeah, alright, I'll go." Alex said about to hang up and go back to sleep with little time he had left before he'd get up and go for work.

"It's at 9:30 p.m., password is Open Sesame." Bob joked as Alex hung up on him and went back to bed.

* * *

The house held fresh warm sunlight that gave it a light orange hue to the walls and furniture it touched, there were footsteps echoing throughout the house as everything else stood in place. In the bathroom mirror stood a man of 5'11, late 30's early 40's with a shadow to his chin and thick dark eyelashes with auburn eyes and a puff of thick black hair. He set fixing his uniform shirt as he did the buttons and set about tightening the belt before he sprayed some cologne and walked out. He went to the kitchen where he poured himself some cereal and ate in silence. He grabbed his keys, locked up the house and left.

 **6:00 a.m.**

He arrived at the police station where he greeted the night shift receptionist and went into his office and took off his leather jacket, he stared at a flyer another officer left on his desk with a logo of electing the next Sheriff and then another flyer with the WINTER LIGHTS FESTIVAL printed on it with Christmas decorations and themes with children and Santa. He examined them before putting them aside and pulling out files that needed to processed and sorted through.

He came across the one he had left thrown in his car the night Rebecca confronted him in the back-parking lot. He read the name, NORMA LOUISE BATES. His thumb slid over the name as a small smile graced his lips, he remembered when he first met her in front of the rundown Seafarer Motel, there were mattresses all layed out in front of the rooms with headboards. Her small car's trunk was stuffed with carpeting which he could guess she or whoever was pulling up from the rooms. He had been driving with Zach Shelby after hearing from Keith earlier that day that he was going to meet this new owner who thought that they could easily take **his** home and **his** motel. They wanted to make sure he hadn't caused any trouble or damage, but also to make sure this new owner was okay. Little did he know at the time, she was actually disposing of the body and the evidence when they first met.

He opened the file and read the information.

Name: NORMA LOUISE BATES

Age: 40

Height: 5'5

We-

He skipped that part.

Gender: Female

Children: 2

Parents: Unknown/Deceased

Siblings: 0

He found that strange, there wasn't any information on her parents or her siblings, the police can usually get information from her social security number, but on her file, there was nothing. He skipped all the other unnecessary information and got down to why she even had a file.

" _Suspect, Norma Bates, allegedly attacked a Motel Guest coming to her door to ask for some help, eyewitness says she opened the door with a wooden bat and beat him with it before closing the door_."

" _When police arrived, the eyewitness was gone, the victim who had been beaten was gone, and the suspect was hit over the head with the bat which she supposedly had used on the victim, she regained consciousness at the station before being transferred to the hospital when there was no evidence to link here with any attack."_

" _She had mild head trauma, but it appeared that the one who attacked her intended to kill her before being interrupted and vacating the premises. Norma Bates had no idea of the attack or any guest arriving at her door or any memory of the night, she wanted nothing more to do with the case and said it was a misunderstanding."_

Alex read over the case summary and leaned back in his chair, it had been almost two months and he had no idea that this occurred on the same day that she was going to tell him something. What was she going to say? He could see her in his mind sitting in the coffee shop with her blue eyes looking at him watering and she seemed hesitant to tell him.

She was going to tell him when he went over her house about a week ago, but they had been interrupted again by her brother. He didn't seem too fond of her brother especially seeing the way she reacted towards him, his eyes widened when he remembered Caleb that day. He read over the report once more and read the part of the victim being beat with the baseball bat. He connected the dots with the wounds on Caleb, the cheekbone, the ribs, and if he had to guess Caleb must have put his jaw back in place himself, but why was there no hospital summary? If he had gone to the hospital than they would have been able to link him to the case, but there was no record of him. That was strange.

The case summary was turning out correct by what Alex could connect, but the only thing missing was the eyewitness, who was it, because there were 3 people that night. An eyewitness, Norma, and Caleb. Someone was with Norma that night and had seen her attack Caleb and they must have attacked Norma. Maybe they feared she would hurt them? Then why call the police and vanish?

He looked to the clock on his desk, it read 7: 50 a.m. He closed the case and decided to close it as insufficient evidence for now, so that it wouldn't stay on her record because there were too many blind spots and nothing to go on other than his own personal knowledge and it would look bad if the Sheriff was tied into some supposed attack.

He grabbed his leather jacket and left his office as the day would really begin.

* * *

 **11:50 a.m.**

The motel reading BATES MOTEL on a blue sign had three cars parked in front, there was a bit of business this time of month as people were heading up to see their families for the holidays and would make rest stops. Just for a night or two. In the building that read OFFICE stood a middle-aged woman with short blonde curly hair and was dressed in a black shirt with a cardigan and dark pants and snow bright blue snow boots, it was beginning to get very cold with the snow.

Outside, a young teenage boy stood shoveling the snow from the gravel it seeped into, it was thick and he was throwing it onto the side. Next to him stood a short scruffy dog who dug its little paws into the snow to help clear a safer path for a walk way. He had a large dark blue scarf and dark green coat with light brown pants and some red snow boots.

"Hey, you want some Coco, Emma made it up at the house." Dylan asked Norman as he held out a cup of hot chocolate coco which Norman obliged to and took a sip as to not burn himself. Dylan walked into the OFFICE and gave Norma one which she was happy to receive as the OFFICE was chilly and the heater was old and taking a while to heat up the room.

"Hey, listen Dylan, I'm going out tonight and I don't know what time I'll be back, can you take care of Norman for me?" She told Dylan as he sat at one of the desks in the back room and Norma leaned over it.

"Normans a grown man, he'll be okay, but sure I'll be home." Dylan commented as Norma became all giddy and let out a little jump.

"Who's the guy this time?"

"Don't say it like that," Norma gave him a look which he turned away from. "It's not like that, a friend from town is taking me to a party. A girlfriend." Norma insisted as Dylan rolled his eyes.

"It'll be fun, it's been awhile since I've been able to relax and clear my head from everything that's happened. Especially, since my brother's…back…" Norma whispered the last part as her mood began to change and Dylan noticed.

"Why is he dangerous? Norma?" Dylan asked as Norma took a seat.

"Listen, Dylan, don't believe anything he tells you. You see…don't tell Norman this because I think it might upset him if he finds out, but when I was younger my…brother used to…make me have sex with him…he would rape me and force me."

"He what?" Dylan was in slight shock, he set his cup down and leaned forward in his chair as it was rare for his mom to be serious with him.

"It was a long time ago, but after I met your father he wouldn't leave me alone, he insisted that he…was your father…"

"Is he?" Dylan asked with a serious tone.

"No! Of course, not! When we moved to Arizona he would still find me and confront me, but I always turned him away. He can't let go of the past. He's in love with me." Norma's eyes began to water as Dylan looked solemnly at his mother who seemed to be telling him the truth.

"He's coming over for Thanksgiving." Norma said looking to her hands.

"He is?"

"I told him, he can come only then and then to leave and never come back." She said as Dylan leaned back in his chair and his mother gave him a strange look which made him nervous.

"It's freezing, out there!" Norman said shivering as he pulled open the door and wind slammed it shut behind forcing Juno in with a little yelp. Norma wiped her tears quickly and approached her youngest son and help him warm up.

* * *

 **2:00 p.m.**

The road was clear as trees seemed to pass by and light snow fell, a black and white SUV was cruising down the road when it pulled over into a little motel that read BATES MOTEL. Sheriff Romero got off the car and walked up the steps to the large older house which was covered in light snow which was melting from the bright sunlight. He got up on the porch and knocked on the door and a beautiful blonde woman answered with a bright white smile which pulled a bit at his chest.

"Alex!" She said excitedly as he nodded and let himself in.

"Norma." He responded as she helped him out of his coat and they went into the living room and sat on the coach where she prepared them hot chocolate with marshmallows.

"What brings you by?" She asked as she took a sip from her white mug and he did the same, taking the time to savor the sweet taste as he looked over to meet her eyes and set the mug down.

"Norma, what happened here at the house?" He asked as she looked at him confused.

"Nothing, we've been better than ever. Dylan and Norman went out to pick up a few tools from town-."

"No, I meant, a month ago, when you were arrested." He saw her face change as she set the mug down.

"I was going to tell you in the Coffee shop that my brother was coming to see me and that…" She trailed off as her eyes began to water and he leaned forward slightly.

"That um my brother was coming to town and that I was wondering if you'd liked to join us for Thanksgiving dinner, if that's okay?" She lied to his face and he felt it, he felt a stab in his chest, but he displayed no emotion and leaned back into the pillow behind him.

"Norma, I don't think that's a good idea…" He said.

"Why?" She asked with a look on her face.

"Because I'm not your family." He said lifting his eyebrows up.

"I just thought since you live alone, you won't have to spend Thanksgiving alone." She said as she folded her arms over her chest and shot him a look of annoyance and he turned from her as he bit down.

"Norma, I need to know what happened that night before you were arrested." He asked again and she made a face…the face she always made when she's lying, she'd look everywhere but at him.

"I can't really remember, I was waiting for Dylan and Norman to get back home when someone knocked on my door and I opened it and from there I don't remember anything after that…" She said with a twitch of her lip, some parts she was truthful, but she was leaving one part out, the part where she beat the shit out of her brother for some reason which he was trying to figure, but she was not willing to answer it.

"Norma, tell me the truth." He said.

"That is the truth." She said closing her mouth as she stared him back in the eye which he just shook his head and arose.

"Okay, Norma. Okay." He said getting ready to leave when she arose as well.

"Is that it?" She asked with a dumbfounded look and he merely nodded and went back to his stoic composure as he rubbed his jaw, feeling his light stubble.

"Yeah, that's it. I'll see you around, Norma." He said as his hand stood on the door handle where he responded from and she merely looked after him, but didn't make any move to stop him and he left. Norma sat back down on the couch and brushed her hair from her face in frustration and folded her hands as she thought deeply.

'Why the hell didn't I tell him?' She thought as she arose quickly and jogged after Alex who was halfway down the stairs.

"Alex!" She shouted and she could see the hope in his eyes for her to tell him the truth, but he merely turned to meet her eyes where she froze up and the words stood stuck in her throat. She felt guilty and ashamed, she couldn't say those words and her whole body grew cold and she inhaled.

"I'm sorry." She said sincerely as Alex closed his eyes softly before he walked away and back to his car where Norma saw him drive away.

She went back to the couch and layed down, she put a hand over her forehead and stared up at the ceiling trying to remember what happened that night a month ago, when she had been arrested and woke up in two different places.

"Someone came to the door, a woman, she asked if we could talk…" Norma said to herself as she tried to put the blurry pieces together in her mind, but all she could seem to really remember is her beating Caleb and going to her phone to call the police before passing out.

"We were talking about someone we both knew, but who was it?" She asked herself as her phone rang and it read a number she didn't recognize and she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Norma, it's me, Rebecca!" Rebecca greeted as Norma rubbed her forehead, Rebecca she had met in the coffee shop, she knew Alex and wanted to be friends with her.

"Oh, hi, Rebecca." Norma said putting on a chirpy tone even though she was in a sour mood and that moment Dylan and Norman walked in making a lot of noise with the boxes of tools they got and Juno barking.

"Listen, do have anything elegant to wear, you know for a formal party." Rebecca asked as Norma was feeling a headache begin to grow in the front center of her forehead as she could hear her sons arguing as one of them fell down the stairs in the basement dropping whatever and blaming it on Juno for getting in the way. She did not want to hear about fucking elegant dresses for some stupide top elite bullshit party she would not at all fit in.

"Rebecca…" She was getting ready to abort the whole thing.

"Also, what kind of lingerie do you have and do you own a masquerade mask, it's one of those mystery type of formal parties. If you know what I mean. No strings attached." Norma bit her lip at the sound of that, it was like playing a different person and no one would know who she really was and God knew she needed a drink and by the sounds of this party there would be more than just expensive high quality drinks, but probably yachts giveaways.

"I do actually. What kind should I wear?" Norma asked as Rebecca smiled through the phone.

"Wear something black."

* * *

 **10:05 p.m.**

A black sports car cruised down the road before pulling up to a small motel that read BATES MOTEL and parked in front of one of the rooms. A beautiful tall dirty blonde got off the car, she wore a short dress with open cleavage and a dark jacket covering her shoulders. She put one foot in front of the other as she walked over the gravel and made her way in the little room that read OFFICE where a young teenage boy stood with a scruffy short dog sitting on his lap as he seemed to be writing something in a journal and the dog watched intently. She cleared her throat and he looked up as he dropped his pen in shock as he took in her beauty.

"S-Sorry." He stuttered out which she found cute.

He put the dog softly on the ground where it retreated to the back, but kept a firm eye on the blonde girl who gave it a little wave and it gave a short growl before the teenage boy shot it a look and it layed down in obedience.

"Sorry about that, I don't know what's wrong with her. Can I help you?" He said looking everywhere, but at her as he fiddled with setting his journal away and pens before pulling out another log book with names of customers. He held a new pen in his hand as he looked up at her finally and she saw his young face.

"Yeah, I need a room." She said in response as he nodded quickly and was going to write.

"Your name?" He asked staring down at the book for answers.

"Annika Johnson. I'm going to stay for 4 days." She said as he nodded and she pulled up a bunch of cash before giving him 400 dollars which he was hesitant to take.

"Okay, um I need to see your I.D." He asked as she pulled out her wallet and gave him her I.D. which he logged in the computer beside him before turning behind him to grab a room key. He handed it to her as she brushed hands with him and he gulped.

"Sorry." He said again as she put her I.D. back in her bag and he averted his eyes from her as she smiled.

"Hey, do you know where this restaurant is? I'm not from around here, I need some help." She admitted as she saw his face light up with opportunity and she him struggle to form words.

"Yeah, I can show you how to get there if you want." He said with a shrug which looked more like a jolt and he knocked his hand against the glass on accident. She let out a small laugh as she saw how innocent he was and he blushed in embarrassment.

"Okay, thanks." She said as she went to her room where Norman helped her put her bags away and then got in the car with her where she drove down the road in red dress she had changed into.

"Is it just you who runs the motel by yourself?" She asked as she hand one hand on the wheel as he sat stiff in his seat and tried not to stare at her cleavage.

"No, I'm just the manager, my mom is the one in charge. My brother and I help her." Norman responded as Annika nodded in response.

"So, you've lived here your whole life? Is it a family business?" She asked as she tried to make conversation from the unbearable silence it had been the first 5 minutes of the drive.

"No, I lived in Arizona, but my mom bought the motel from the bank after my father died, she said it would be a fresh start. That was about two years ago." Norman said as he thought back on his father's death which really hurt him, finding him in the garage crushed.

"You're a very nice man to be helping you mom, the way you do." She complimented as Norman smiled in returned and said a small thank you.

"Yeah, it's always been me and my mom. We're very close, but my brother has been opening up and I've gotten the chance to have a brother for once." Norman said as Annika smiled in response.

"So, what is it you do?" Norman asked her as she casually drove down the road.

"Me, I help clients, all kinds of people who need help fixing their problems, having their needs met." She said as Normans gaze dropped to her outfit and he tried to sum up what exactly she worked as and he felt his ears begin to ring as he looked back to the road.

"You get used to it. People. After a while, it's just skin, you don't think about it anymore. Plus, I need the money." She said as Norman continued to stare out the window.

"Turn right here." Normans said as they reached a sign and a split road and Annika turned. Norman looked to Annika and smiled.

"I think you're a nice girl."

* * *

 **11:50 p.m.**

The Arcanum Club was an extravagant piece of property, it was very large and stretched on into the forest that surrounded it, there was a large mansion and many other buildings of importance, there was a pool and a large opening for people to chat as well as a garden.

Many important people were there who stood dressed in the highest of quality gowns and suits, they all wore masquerade masks and held champagne glasses in their hands as they chatted with one another. In one area stood the Sheriff of White Pine Bay in a fine suit with a golden mask as he chatted with some fellow business partners of the town who knew who he was and discussed further agreements and future projects they were deciding to conduct. He chatted and would laugh at the proper moments as he drank some wine and looked over his shoulder to meet the eyes of Bob Paris who motioned him inside from where he stood.

"I'm surprised you're not in one of your private rooms for private discussions." Alex added as Bob puffed out an air of annoyance and put an arm around Alex and guided him further in the building pass the bar and tables where other business people were discussing very important matters or playing poker. He guided him down a hallway and into a room where there sat the head officer of the DEA, he had his mask off and beside him stood another man with his mask off who Alex didn't recognize.

"Hi, I'm George. I'm here to represent him as a lawyer to make sure nothing is done without his knowledge." George said shaking both Bob and Alex's hands as they took a seat in the large leather chairs that stood on a carpet in front of a fireplace. George was a handsome man in his mid-30s with blue eyes and dark hair, he was tall and handsome as he folded his hand over the folder he held in his lap.

"You think, we'd trick you." Bob joked as he let out a hearty laugh which Alex grimaced at, his childhood friend had a way with tactics that annoyed him, he was a stupid idiot at first in the beginning, but then when you'd least expect it he'd have a gun behind your head ready to destroy your whole entire life if you didn't follow what he'd say.

"No, we just want to make sure that everything is in order from both parties and sealed away in case a problem should arise where the terms are broken in an event." George responded quickly as Alex noticed his swiftness to try and fool Bob to believing his every word to be genuine and that he was completely innocent of everything that was about to be discussed. Alex noticed a glass beside him filled with scotch which he ignored as he looked to the fire place as he could hear Bob and the officer discuss some stupid agreement to let the pot fields continue in their way if he could get some kind of profit from it. There it was. Money.

All the people at the Arcanum Club were discussing money, in different ways, and they came to boast and show off. In manhood, especially, in the private rooms there wasn't just two people, there were numerous, maybe one girl and five guys, or maybe one guy and five girls, or he had heard in some cases a guy and another guy which Bob had told him was for persuasion. Whatever that meant, he stood far from the private rooms and would drink and enjoy dinner and maintaining an image before leaving with a party favor and some condoms Bob would throw in which he then throws away.

"So, do we all agree?" Bob asked as he clapped his hands together which snapped Alex from his thoughts and he turned to Bob and nodded.

"Sure." Alex said as they signed the paper and took a drink of the scotch beside him which seemed a lot stronger than he'd thought it'd be. He exited the room and smoothened out his tie before heading to sit down and play a round of poker when Bob guided him away from everyone.

"Hey, listen, I know you don't like indulging in the human party favors, but why don't you try it. Let loose, you've been uptight lately, especially with that bitch Rebecca hounding you all day." Bob said as Alex closed his eyes in annoyance and cleared his throat.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. I'm fine." Alex said walking away from Bob who shrugged and drank some alcohol before going out to a small shack where he would watch a good show.

 **1:00 a.m.**

Inside an extravagant part of the house, upstairs on the 2nd floor stood a study room where a gathering of people stood chatting and a young blonde woman with a red masquerade mask stood chatting with a business man as he slid a hand up her red dress. She laughed at his move.

There was another bar where another blonde woman stood chatting with her friend, a redhead who was giving her a lot of alcohol and the blonde woman's words were beginning to slur.

"Great, party. Hah?" Rebecca said with a red smile as she looked to Norma hazily who agreed as she downed another shot of who knows what when a man came to sit beside her. He was tall and handsome, he wore a green mask, and had on a sharp suit.

"Well, what's your name beautiful?" He asked and Norma being too far down to come up with a fake name said her real name instead.

"It's Norma! I'm Norma Louise Bates." She said as the man only smiled in response as she swayed to the light music that was playing. He looked to the redhead who winked at him and he nodded and leaned into Norma's ear.

"Hey, why don't we go somewhere more private?" He asked her lustfully as she leaned into his hot breath blowing on her neck with each syllable and let out a low moan before agreeing and following him as he guided her away from the area to a secluded room where the door handles held little signs with DO NOT DISTURB.

The night hadn't exactly begun like this, Norma and Rebecca had met in the front of her house where they drank in the car to exhilarate the adrenaline since Norma was getting cold feet. There they met with a security guard who asked for a password and Rebecca had said they were the "Special Party Favors" and flashed him a golden black card where he allowed them in. A lot, of men quickly began chatting them up and Rebecca had said the women at the party were the wives of some of the business men, but they appeared really young and dressed very scandalously. Norma had just been enjoying talking to some of the men before some of them tried to touch her which was fine at first before it turned down a different road where she excused herself to the bathroom and found herself being peer pressured by Rebecca and they drank alcohol so that it would calm her nerves.

It then turned into dancing and kissing strangers, then it turned to being at the bar and drinking alone and chatting up the bartender as Rebecca was making out with some stranger in the corner and then disappearing for a short while and then drinking more. She was at the bar doing shots that Rebecca had ordered for her and she didn't even know what it was, but it seemed to taste good and the bartender had told her she didn't have a very good friend which she scrunched up her face in disagreement. Then she saw Rebecca leave and talk to some guy in a green mask who then approached her and now he was guiding her to some room in the far corner of the 2nd floor. She followed him trying not to fall and keeping her voice quiet as he had told her that there were meetings being done in the other rooms about very important stuff.

"You know, I never got to tell you this in person after you disappeared on me?" He said pouring her a glass as she was seated on a king-sized bed with soft comforters and many pillows put together in a style. She looked to the fire place that lit up the room as he had kept the lights off, there was wooden floors and a table where he was pouring some glasses with wine.

"Oh yeah, what was it you were gonna say when I 'disappeared' on you?" She repeated his words mocking him as his hand tightened around the bottle of wine, he snickered as he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small case of white powder.

"That no deed goes unpunished." He said in a serious tone as he poured the powder in and mixed it into the drink. Norma seemed oblivious to his words or what he was doing, she was pulling off her heals which had been hurting her all night and she leaned more into the mattress as she was beginning to become hazy. She could barely see him through her half-lidded eyes as he brought her the small glass of dark red liquid, she smiled at him an innocent smile as she drank it and he drank his as well.

She stared into his blue eyes longingly as he cupped her face and kissed her harshly before his phone vibrated and he reached into his pocket to read it, breaking the kiss, he cursed under his breath.

"I'm sorry, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." He said as she whimpered in annoyance as he kissed her one last time before getting up and walking out of the room where she proceeded to undress and wait for him in her black lingerie. She wore black nylons and a black lacy bra and a black lacy thong, she layed on the bed stretching out as she began to feel hot.

 **12:30 p.m.**

Alex had been roaming around the house trying to get away from the noise when he started to feel dizzy, his head started to pound and his body felt strange. He ignored it and kept walking up a flight of stairs to the second floor where he met with some tall man who asked him to discuss something.

"Who are you?" He asked as the man merely shrugged.

"It's me George, from earlier." He lifted his mask and Alex recognized him as the taller man, who guided him to a study room where older men sat talking or some playing chess. Alex sat apart from the other man in a grey square sofa chair as a small coffee table stood in front of them and a butler came by asking what sort of refreshments they would like.

"Whisky." George asked for as he looked to Alex.

"I'll have the same." Alex didn't really feel like talking, he just wanted to go home and lay down in his own bed, he pulled at his tie and shifted in his seat.

"You know, Bob, has been telling me you don't ever play while you're here, why is that?" He asked and Alex rolled his eyes, a young man like George would enjoy frivolous things as expensive women doing whatever he wants when he says, to feel in control.

"I just come for business and nothing more." Alex said keeping his answer short as the two short glasses of liquid came with large ice cubes. Alex turned his head around at the sound of two men yelling at eachother which wasn't a surprise until a butler came to hush them and Alex turned back to George. He was bored so why not make some cheap conversation.

"I'm sure a young man like yourself jumps at the opportunity of expensive prostitutes." Alex said as George shifted in his seat putting one leg over the other.

"Not necessarily. I think it's nice to relax once and a while. Men like us do a lot more work than other people, we deserve to enjoy release without having to worry about the consequences." He said with a snobbish smile and Alex grimaced slightly before nodding in return and taking a small sip of his whisky.

"I can understand that, but I'm not as young as you. When you get to my age, you just develop different tastes." Alex said taking another sip of his whisky as he thought on the many women he associated with himself in the past. Maintaining an image was very important to him, what would people think of him if he were to sleep with a prostitute, that he could be easily persuaded by beauty and sly words?

"They have varieties. Whatever you want." George said as he finished his whisky and set it down.

"You've done a lot for this town and your good friend, Bob, thinks that you should relax." George said as Alex began to feel hazy, he shook his head as he blamed it on the strong alcohol, he was at his limit.

"We've set up a private room for you, far away from anyone to know or see you. The model is unique too, she's got quite the ass, if you know what I mean. No one will ever know, I've been sworn secrecy and Bob won't discuss it with anyone." He said as Alex wanted to get up and leave, he honestly did not care about anything, but getting to his house and sleeping in his own private god damn room alone and far away from the Sin happening in this very building he was sitting in.

"I'll think about it." Alex said as George arose and shook his hand.

"She's quite the dangerous beauty. One sip and you'll fall." He said as Alex nodded in return as he reached for a magazine on the table and then looked at his watch.

 **12:48 p.m.**

He usually didn't stay long at these events and he ended up chatting up with some man he didn't even know until his vision started to blur and he felt incredibly dizzy. He arose from his seat and excused himself as he left the room and threw himself inside a bathroom where he grasped the sink. He shook his head trying to straighten out, but he was feeling unbearably hot, he took off his suit jacket and splashed water over his face and he turned to knocking at the door.

"Yeah, someone is in here."

The door clicked open and he turned to look.

 **1:20 a.m.**

They're were shallow breaths heard as a bouncing sound could be heard also, there was a white comforter that shifted and several small pillows seemed to bounce off. White skin glistened under the light from the fire that emitted throughout the room and arms were wrapped around the thick neck of a large muscular man whose breaths were quiet as he pushed deep in the woman under him. Her breaths were also quiet as she ran her fingers through his thick dark hair and another hand up his muscular tight back. One arm lay beside her head as another stood softly on her thigh as he dug deeper inside, his movements were slow before becoming desperate.

"Ha. Ah…ah…ha…" She huffed as she tightened her grip on his back and breathed harder into his ear, her breaths were hot and he grew harder from the heat and her sweet voice. His eyes had been closed as she looked at him, her mask discarded and her nylons ripped, he had begun from behind when he entered the room and now he turned her to face him, but hid his face in her blonde curly hair which was now flattening out from the sweat.

"Ha. Ha…" He huffed onto the mattress as he thrusted his hips into her hers, she was smaller than him, but he held her close. He picked her up from the bed and they stood in a seated position as he moved her further down onto him, he thrusted into her as much as he could. He began to become desperate, his eyebrows scrunched together as the knot in his lower abdomen did not seem to disperse no matter what he did and she was just as insatiable as he was. She would meet each thrust, wincing in doing so as his movements were rough, but she buried her face into his neck and held him, she nibbled into his thick neck and sucked. He could feel a part of his neck grow wet and slippery as she sucked hard bruising it and bit down before kissing it. She continued to do this before meeting his lips, she kissed him and he met her lips passionately, he could barely see her through the dimly lit room.

A song began to play, he didn't know from where and neither did she.

"This is my favorite song..."She said suddenly as he smiled as she swayed to it.

 _Mr. Sandman bring me a dream~_

He let out a low grunt in pleasure as he felt her grind down on him, she slowly pushed him down on the bed, as she grinded on him, she added a lot more friction, but he merely watched her through half lidded eyes as she put a hand to his lips where he leaned back on the pillows, he sucked on her fingers as she moaned in response.

 _Make him the cutest that I've ever seen~_

"Ah….Ah….I'm…going to….Ahh…" She moaned as she grinded harder and he leaned upward to meet her and thrusted deep inside her where she let out a cry and fell onto him.

 _Give him two lips like roses and clovers~_

"Ha…Ha…Ha…." She huffed as she tried to regain her air when he turned her around and pulled out of her, his member was thick with a large vein going around it as it glistened from her moist wetness, she lay flat on the bed with her butt in the air. He could see where he had ripped a whole in the back when he had first arrived in the room, he had immediately taken her. He slipped her nylons and underwear off her as she stood breathing hard as her erect nipples rubbed on the bed with each movement he made.

 _Then tell him his lonesome nights are over~_

She slipped out of them and turned around on her back facing him, he looked in her blue eyes that reminded him of someone he knew, he leaned down and kissed her deeply, they kissed over and over to the point where there lips were sore and red.

 _Sandman, I'm so alone~_

He held her tight as he buried himself within her once more and she widened her legs and buried them behind his lower back as she wrapped both of her arms around his back and she could feel his tight muscles and him pouring all his emotions into her with each movement.

 _Don't have nobody to call my own~_

They hadn't talked at all. All that could be heard in the room were their breaths and slaps of skin. Sweat trickled down their skin and he pulled her hips up softly to push into her deeper as he began to pick the pace.

 _Make him the cutest that I've ever seen~_

She sucked on his thumb as she met his eyes and he massaged her hair, she moaned into his hand when the friction between them pushed to a certain direction, and he kept pushing against it as she continued to let a soft moan.

 _Give him the word that I'm not a rover~_

"Ah!" She moaned as she was pushed forward, he had thrusted harder this time and she gripped onto his arm as she met his hips, she leaned upward and kissed him, he had a pained expression as he moaned and grunted.

 _Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over~_

"Ha...Ha...Haa..." Her breaths were more erratic as he thrusted faster, he held her tight, his strong arms around her and his hands holding her tight so that she would never leave him.

 _Give him a pair of eyes with a "come-hither" gleam~_

His eyes she had not been able to see because of the little light, but they were desperate and unsure, he had kept them closed, but at moments he had looked at her longingly and held her in a way that he didn't want to lose her.

 _Give him a lonely heart like Pagliacci~_

There was an air of loneliness that hung around him, he seemed desperate with each movement, he savored each touch, he took it slow before being engulfed by the burning lust buried within both of them which he then dominated her and kissed her softly, his kisses were sweet and slow, but he did it with a type of sad love. He caressed her face and kissed each part of it and he would look into her eyes as if he were searching for a person he longed for.

 _And lots of wavy hair like Liberace~_

She had noticed his hair when she was running her hands through it when he hovered above her, she smelled it and pulled it, it was thick hair, and all over his body there was thick wavy hair. He smelled familiar, his scent. They had drank a lot, but alcohol wasn't the only scent that lingered.

 _Mr. Sandman, someone to hold~_

"Your beautiful..."He had said hazily through her hair as he layed her back down and pushed himself deeper into her, he opened something within her and her breath hitched as her nails dug into his hardened arm.

 _Would be so peachy before were too old~_

"Ah...Ah...Ah...Ha...Ahh..."She moaned louder as he thrusted deeper into her before he lout a low grunt as he could feel her tighten around him, it felt as if he would break and he released his seed within her, her stomach grew hot as she felt something swirl around her, deep inside, his member seemed to twitch inside of her as she could feel the heat he had released seep out of her and run down her thighs.

 _Mr. Sandman, bring us, please, please, please, bring us~_

He fell beside on the bed slipping out of her as he fell into a deep sleep and she huffed trying to catch her breath before she felt his arms slip around her and hold her, she could feel his member pressing into her back, she felt herself grow tired and turned to him as the fire began to die out and she couldn't make out his face before kissing him.

 _Mr. Sandman, bring us a dream~_

The music ended as they both fell asleep in each others arms, the fire light died and the room went dark and all that could be heard was there soft breathing and calm heartbeats as they dreamed of there own deepest desires.

 **3:00 a.m.**

"Did you get rid of her?" Rebecca asked George who stood beside her, they were outside hidden in the shadows of the trees.

"Yeah, I dumped her over the cliff into the water, someone will go by tomorrow to make sure it's properly disposed of." He responded as she handed him a wad of cash which he ignored.

"Keep it, this was something I had been looking forward to." He said putting his hands in his suit pockets as Rebecca smiled evily and scooted beside him and leaned on him.

"I'm glad to be rid of that bitch, Norma Bates." Rebecca said as she kissed him.

"I'm glad she's dead."

* * *

 **That was really long and complicated as fuck to write. I mean I'm a person who likes a lot of details, but in some areas I didn't know how to explain (LOL)**

 **No, but aside from that. This like the start of the story, where I'm going with it anyway.**

 **I mean is Norma okay?**

 **The next chapter, shit is hitting the fan, things are gonna add up, other stuff is gonna happen, but this chapter is like the start of everything. Sometimes when I'm writing, I forget what I had written before, so I have to go back and read, oh I put that there okay, I feel stupid, but I try to cover my tracks and make sure things are going the way I intend them to.**

 **Anyway, I get excited to read your guys reviews, so thanks for commenting. It's very nice.**

 **Next Chapter:** The Death of Norma Louise Bates


	7. The Death of Norma Louise Bates

**Suggestive themes.**

 **Mentions of Alcohol and Narcotics.**

 **Caution.**

* * *

"We have a body." A police officer said as he spoke into the small black speaker on his shoulder with his hands on his hips as he examined the woman floating in the lake where a local fisherman had discovered her.

"Yeah, bring Sheriff Romero, this looks like a homicide." The officer said into the speaker as he turned to the fisherman to begin questioning him.

* * *

The day had not started exactly how the Sheriff of White Pine Bay had thought it would, he woke up in a room that wasn't his, on a bed that wasn't his and his head was pounding. He slowly arose to find he wasn't wearing any clothes, he found his briefs on the floor as he slid one foot to meet the cold wooden floor, he hissed at how cold the room seemed to be.

"Where the fuck am I?" He asked himself as he slowly reached down to grab his clothes which he realized were soiled in alcohol and his own precum. He searched the room for some kind of source of where clothes could be and his eyes landed on the dresser and he slowly walked towards it as he stepped into the warm orange sun that peered into the windows and onto the oak wooden floor. He opened the dresser and found some pants and a shirt, he grabbed them and went into the bathroom where he looked into the mirror, his face looked like shit and his eyes were bloodshot, but they fell on his chest, his upper neck was covered in red purple hickeys and small bite marks.

"Ugh, what did I do?" He questioned as he splashed water on his face and brushed his teeth with a tooth brush most of the guest rooms provided.

"And with who?" He asked himself trying to remember what happened last night, he remembered going into a different bathroom and Bob knocking on the door. He knew it, it was Bob. He was so desperate to get Alex to do one of the prostitutes that he would go as far as drugging him. He was going to have a long talk with Bob as he examined himself in the mirror and noticed scratch marks on his arms and back. He really did a number on whoever the poor girl was. He got in the large modern shower and sighed into the hot water.

Outside of his room stood a DO NOT DISTURB sign with the number 4.

* * *

"Where is the Sheriff?" The officer asked forensics and another who joined him at the scene, the one who had just arrived at the scene put his arms in the air.

"He didn't check in to work, I've been calling him, but he hasn't answered." He said as the other shook his head, but was sure the Sheriff was attending to something important like being drugged by his best friend to sleep with the expensive prostitutes he'd buy every year.

"That's alright, we'll brief him later, for now let's search for any more evidence around the area and then head back and have the mortician look at her. For now, she's a Jane Doe." He said as the other officer agreed as they walked passed the naked blonde woman with curls, they went on ahead to look for any evidence that may have floated down the river.

* * *

The drive home was fast as Alex, went into his bedroom and grabbed his phone and called into work.

"Hey, I'm not going to make it in so just leave anything important on my desk." He said hanging up right after and then lying down in his bed. He groaned when his phone began ringing again and answered it with a low growl of annoyance.

"So how was the babe?" It was Bob Paris. The little shit had the nerve to call him after drugging him and forcing him on some prostitute. He payed no attention to it as he couldn't even remember what happened and he could assume it was due to some type of aphrodisiac.

"Listen, Bob, you are the last person I want to talk to right now. You do know it's illegal to drug a Sheriff?" He said angrily as Bob snickered over the phone before saying something that alarmed Alex and made him sit upright.

"Drug? What drug? I never drugged you, Alex." He said in all honesty and Alex knew when Bob was lying and this time he wasn't.

"Alex, did someone drug you?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm as he sounded like he would begin laughing at any moment.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." He hung up on his friend and pulled on his dark pants and belt with his gun, he slipped on his uniform and went to the police station.

"Sheriff, I thought you weren't coming into work?" The receptionist asked as she buzzed him in and he shrugged and went to find his medical officer.

"Listen, this is going to stay between you and me, I need you to run a blood test on me to see if I was drugged. Don't ask any questions, just do it." The young officer just nodded as he arose from his desk and he followed him to the back room where they supplied small medical attention to test out suspects for different types of substances found in their system or victims.

"I won't have the results until a couple hours from now, but I'll let you know as soon as I have them." He said and Alex nodded after he finished taking his blood amongst other things.

* * *

"Sheriff, there you are, we found a body floating in a lake, the woman identified is Caucasian with blonde short hair, it's a possible homicide." He had been stopped in the hallway by a fellow officer who briefed him on the body they found, he shuddered when the officer said short blonde hair, he felt sudden memories come back to him of a woman with short blonde hair.

"Show me." He said as he followed the officer disgruntled as they went in the area where they stored the bodies, there on the table was a woman, his heart began to beat faster and he felt sick. He walked close to get a better look at her, and he noticed the woman was young, she was in her late twenties and she had a darker tone to her hair and it appeared she was strangled before being dumped in the river. There were bruises along her neck that suggested a behind kill, someone had choked her with something when she least expected it.

"Any I.D.?" He asked as he felt rising nausea growing in his stomach, he began sweating.

"Were working on it." His officer replied.

"Jane Doe, okay, I'll be in my office." He said leaving the room and the unidentifiable young woman lying on the table, he quickly pushed the blue swinging doors out of his way and threw up in a trash can outside the room. He had definitely been drugged as he had begun sweating, fever, headaches, and he felt horrible nausea but he straightened himself out and went to his desk. He was relieved that it wasn't the motel owner Norma Bates, he had felt an impending doom at the thought of her being dead, his whole chest seemed to tighten at the thought of her gone.

He went to his desk where he was going to call her from the stations phone when a knock came to his door and the person let themselves in.

"Rebecca." He said trying to hide his disgust and his annoyance at her disrupting him when he was always going to do something important. She sat herself down, she carried a different air about her, but Alex could see right through her.

"Alex." She greeted back with a smile as he turned his attention out the window where snow began to fall.

"I think I over reacted, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry. Forgive me." She said with sincerity, but Alex wasn't buying it, she wanted something and she was up to something. He had almost forgotten about her until he remembered a month ago, when Norma had been arrested and she approached him outside, at first, he thought she was there to see him get arrested by the DEA or was in relation with that, but no she had mentioned she'd seen Norma that night and he hadn't thought anything of it. He looked back at her as he remembered Norma saying someone had knocked on her door, but Norma didn't tell him the whole truth. The eyewitness was Rebecca she had tried to kill Norma, but her plan backfired when Caleb left. He chose not to say anything as he realized this was only his common knowledge and even if he did arrest her it would be complicated because she knew too much.

"That night, you said you went to see Norma at her house, to talk." He said getting up from his seat as he stood by the window and Rebecca realized she had told him that.

"Alex, I'm done with this drama, I realized my mistake. I would just like to make amends." She said ignoring his question as he kept his back to her.

"Don't think I don't know what you did? Stay away from her, she has nothing to do with me." He said loudly in a deep voice as she flinched at his sudden raise in speech, she gripped her purse as she wasn't sure which he was talking about. The one where she knocked Norma over the head with the bat or where George killed her and threw her over a cliff. She figured he meant the first one because if he knew she had Norma killed, he wouldn't be acting so calm, but then Alex was a mystery to her, he was always calm even when they would make love.

"I understand that Alex. I haven't talked to her." Rebecca said as she arose from her seat when an officer knocked on Alex's door and brought in a file.

"We've I.D. the body." Rebecca left the room before she could hear anything else and Alex noticed her swiftness out of the room as he listened to his officer explain the girl who was in the prostitution business Bob used and Alex knew he had a lot on his hands.

"I'll get in touch with anyone who might have known her, okay?" He said as the officer nodded and left Alex in his office as he looked over the file and read over names numbers. He went to his desk phone and punched in some number before he remembered he was going to call Norma to see if she was alright…just to hear her voice.

Her heard the phone ring, but then it went to voice mail and he decided to call on his cellphone, but it went to voicemail and he called again and the same happened. He became slightly worried for her because danger seemed to always find its way to her and he worried that someday he wouldn't be on time to save her from it.

He ignored the feelings and proceeded to dial the number before on the young woman's file and he met the voice of a young girl.

"Hi, this is Sheriff Romero, your friend," He could hear her already sobbing and he knew it would be a long day, a long month of investigating and yet the only thing he could think about was Norma.

* * *

The room was old fashioned and there was a vanity table in one corner of the room, a mirror and a dresser and a large open window where you could see the view of a motel that read BATES MOTEL and the trees that surrounded the area. There was a large bed that stood in the center of the room where it was empty and a teenager burst into the room only to find the person he was looking for wasn't there.

"Dylan, have you seen mother?" Norman asked his brother who was peeing in the bathroom with the door open which Norman grimaced at.

"Nah, she didn't come home last night, but she said she didn't know when she'd be home, she's probably at some guy's house waking up to the afterglow." Dylan said and Norman ignored him as he proceeded down stairs where he fed his dog and ate some cereal before heading over to Emma's to help her father with some Taxidermy.

Dylan finished up his peeing and went to Norma's room where she wasn't anywhere to be found and it didn't look like she had come back and left. It was unlike her to leave and not come back, especially this late, he grabbed his phone and called her, but there was no answer. He went downstairs to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found. He walked outside to look in the OFFICE, but she wasn't there, he was a little worried and tried her phone one more time, but it went to voicemail.

"Where are you mom?" He said to himself as he got in his truck to go look for her, he remembered her leaving the house, she dressed in a black dress with black nylons because it was still chilly from all the snow and she didn't want to get a cold. She said she was going with a friend, but he never met the other lady and Norma didn't mention her name. He drove around, but she was nowhere to be found, her car was back at the motel since the woman had picked her up and took her to a party.

"She'll probably come back home." He said to himself as he drove to work forgetting his mother and her whereabouts.

* * *

"Were you able to find mom?" Norman asked as he had come home later that evening and called Dylan when he found his mom nowhere to be found in the home once again. He was getting worried, she'd never left him this long without letting him know when she'd be back and she wasn't answering her phone which wasn't a good sign.

"Call Romero, Norman. If she doesn't show up by 10." Dylan said over the phone as he was starting to feel uneasy about where his mother might be.

"Okay." Norman said as he hung up and stared at the clock that read 4:50 p.m., he sighed in frustration at the time, he went down to the motel to clean the rooms since his mom wasn't around to do it. He put on the uniform and knocked on the rooms before going inside and cleaning it, he reached Annika's room, but she didn't answer and he looked in the window to see if she was asleep, but the room was the same as she had left it before he left with her and her car was parked in the front where he had parked it for her. He scratched his head in thought when he remembered her job, she was an escort, she was probably purchased for the week or something so Norman left her room alone.

He went to clean the other rooms where he found room 11 locked, he found it strange because no one was staying in room 11, he walked back to the OFFICE to look for the key, but couldn't find it in its slot which means someone took it, but no one was staying at the motel, but Annika. He grabbed the spare keys to the room and he grabbed 11's key and walked over to the room where he found his mom inside. She on the floor fast asleep with her face down, her purse and clothes were scattered about and there was throw up on the floor by her feet.

He quickly went to her and shook her.

"Mother? Mother? Are you okay?" He said alarmed and scared at how stiff she was, she was breathing, but she seemed really wasted, she opened her eyes really slowly and tried to speak, but couldn't. She couldn't even move. Norman tried to pick up his mom, but she seemed to jerk away from him.

"I'll…get up…on my own…just leave me…." She said slowly through slurred words as he could barely make out her face as she stood face down with a cover wrapped around her covering her back and reaching to calves. He listened to his mom and left her on the floor, but went to clean the floor where she had thrown up, he noticed a large gift basket with an assortment of expensive looking items inside.

"Where did you go last night mother?" He asked as she groaned in response and he exited the room where he was met by Sheriff Romero who parked in front of the OFFICE.

"Great." Norman said under his breath as he pushed the cart back to the OFFICE and met Sheriff Romero.

"Norman, where's your mom? I need to talk to her." He said as Norman put a hand on his hip and shrugged as he tried to form a lie.

"I, she's asleep. Why don't you come back tomorrow, she's not really herself?" Norman said as Romero just stared hard at him when there was a sudden crash of glass and Norman just hoped Romero hadn't heard it, but he most likely did and his mom was in no state for anyone to see her. She was completely wasted, he'd never seen her like this, not to the point where she couldn't even move.

"You have guests?" Romero asked as he noticed the car parked out front of room 4, before his eyes went to the source of the sound where he had stayed for a few months.

"No, we only have one." Norman answered nervously.

"So, you do or you don't?" He asked as Norman mentally kicked himself. Then Dylan had to walk in at the worst moment in the middle of Normans lie, the loose end.

"Did you find her, Norman?" He asked as Dylan noticed the Sheriff.

"Find who?" Romero questioned looking from Norman to Dylan who acknowledged the Sheriff.

"Norma, she didn't come home last night, but we tried calling her and she didn't answer. She usually lets us know where she's going or she always comes back. It's just not like her to leave and not come back." Dylan said looking to Norman who gave his brother a look which he squinted at taking it as stupidity.

"I was looking for her too, but Norman said she's asleep and hasn't been herself." Romero said shooting Norman a look as he seemed unable to form any words. Another noise went off, this time the sound of someone vomiting. Dylan and Romero both looked at Norman.

"I went to clean the rooms and I found her in room 12, she was passed out on the floor and she said to just leave her there." Norman admitted as the vomiting grew louder and Dylan scratched his head.

"Where did she go last night?" Romero asked Dylan.

"She went out with a friend, she said she was going to a party with some new girlfriend. She picked Norma up from the house, but I didn't see her. I don't know her name." Dylan said as Romero looked to his shoes as he thought for a moment.

"When your moms feeling better let me know we need to talk about her case, I think I may have found the person responsible. Don't mention anything to anyone. Just be aware of anyone suspicious." He said as he went to the SUV and drove back to his house where he got his things together to go out to San Francisco to talk to the friend of the woman's body they found floating in the river. He was on the highway by the next hour.

* * *

Norma had awoken to the sound of her son calling her and shaking her, she couldn't move, her body felt heavy, she felt like dead weight and her head was pounding. She could feel it pulsing with each push he would do to wake her and with his pleas to see if she were okay. She didn't give a shit if she were dying, she just wished he would stop talking and stop shaking her.

"I'll…get up…on…my own…just leave me…." She had managed to croak out as she opened her eyes slightly to see complete blur. She could hear her son cleaning the floor from what she could guess was when she threw up on arrival, she smelled of vomit, alcohol, and sweat. She also smelled something else that she couldn't quite remember what the smell was associated with.

"Where did you go last night, mother?" She heard Norman say and she groaned in response regretting going to that party and getting wasted. She couldn't even remember anything, she didn't even know how she got in the motel room or how she ended up on the floor naked. Norman left the room and she tried to get up, she grabbed the nightstand to help her balance herself, but it fell and so did the lamp on it.

*CRASH* *SHATTER*

"Crap." She cursed as she grabbed the bed, she pulled herself up and the blanket slid off of her, her upper right shoulder blade held red love marks and hand marks, her lower back had more hand marks, she pulled herself to sit down and squinted at the brightness of the room.

The day was overcast and snowing, but the room still looked bright to her as she looked around it and suddenly felt an oncoming swarm of nausea. She grabbed the trashcan underneath the other night stand and vomited into it, hot tears ran down her face as she cried from the pain.

She found herself upright and in the shower, where she cleaned her body, halfway through scrubbing her body she felt a liquid flow down from her leg, she touched it and stared at it, she had, had intercourse last night which she wasn't surprised at, but she couldn't even remember any of it. She was so drunk and all Rebecca seemed to do was get her really drunk and then she met that green masked guy who took her to the back room, but then he left and she couldn't remember anything after that.

She scrubbed her body hard, her body was bruised up from the night before, whoever she slept with had really held her tight. She finished and looked at herself in the mirror, her neck, chest, and arms were covered in red purple love marks and some teeth marks. She touched them and they were slightly sore, now she was becoming interested in what the hell she had done last night.

* * *

Several days went by and Norma sat in the house getting ready for Thanksgiving, she was preparing everything a day ahead, she stood in the kitchen with a scarf around her neck, a cardigan and dark pants. Her bruises hadn't vanished just yet and she didn't want to be indecent and walk around like that, although Dylan shot her weird looks like he knew.

She let out a sigh as she took a break and sat in the living room, she was remembering when Romero came over to ask about the night she was arrested. She had lied to his face and he looked so hurt by it, but she did mean it when she said for him to come Thanksgiving Day. She lyed down and stared at the ceiling once more, she tried remembering the party and the mystery man who left her riddled in love marks.

'I was sitting in the kitchen making dinner for Norman and Dylan and someone knocked on the door, I thought it was Caleb, but it was-.' She thought, she could see the picture, she just couldn't make out the person's face when she remembered suddenly.

'I went over your house and we never got to finish our talk'…she remembered meeting Rebecca in the material store where she had mentioned going over her house and suddenly everything came back to her.

She had been waiting for Dylan and Norman to come home when there was a knock on her door and she thought it was Caleb, she had grabbed the wooden bat Dylan left for her and opened the door quickly only to find Rebecca. She had been dressed in a dark coat and large scarf, she appeared to be shivering from the snow that had been falling outside.

"Can we talk? Woman to Woman?" Rebecca had asked her and Norma had let her in as she knew Alex and felt that they must have a mutual understanding of some things. She had asked Norma how she knew Alex, that was the woman to woman talk, but Norma hadn't really been thinking about her question until now.

'Why had she asked that?' Norma thought as she remembered telling her when that they had met in front of the Motel with Zach Shelby and Rebecca proceeded to insinuate that Alex was drawn to Norma more than usual for a Sheriff and civilian. Norma hadn't picked up anything Rebecca had been saying because she was nervous of her brother coming to her door at any moment.

"I don't know what kind of relationship you have with Alex, but you need to end it." She remembered her saying before Caleb knocked on the door cutting her off, she hadn't remembered what Rebecca said that day until now and she assumed in the beginning that Rebecca and Alex's relationship was far from just platonic, but she didn't think possessive or serious.

Why would Rebecca want to be her friend? Why would she invite her out or act like nothing happened the night she came over? She had answered the door for Caleb and beat him before coming back in and telling Rebecca they needed to call the police and she went to her phone to call, but she had been hit over the head by the bat and fell on the floor.

*DING DONG*

She heard the doorbell and arose from the couch where she was beginning to feel uneasy when Alex stood in front of her with a composed look on his face. He was in normal clothes, he wore dark levi's and a flannel, he had a small scarf wrapped around his neck that looked sort of out of place on a person like him, but it was starting to get cold.

"Hi, Norma." He greeted her as he felt the uneasiness in his gut wash away from seeing her alive and well, she still had her radiant glow and her vibrant blue eyes. She gave him an innocent smile and it warmed him even though he was out in the cold.

"Alex." She greeted as she let him in and gave him a short hug which he seemed to make much longer than she expected him to and she looked up at him, but his face was unreadable.

"What brings you by?" She asked as she went in the kitchen to check on the food before making some warm tea with small tarts and brought them to the living room and set them on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"I was going to see how you were feeling, the boys mentioned you had been missing and were worried about you, but it seems they found you…under the weather." Alex said letting out a smile at the last part as she hit his arm softly.

"I don't know if I'd call it that, but I was really sick for the last couple of days. I went to a party with your friend, she invited me, um Rebecca was her name." Norma said picking up her white china and taking a sip as Romero's smile fell and the mood went completely still. He looked to her very seriously and he grabbed her arm softly which she responded to by looking from her tea to his eyes that were filled with worry. She felt scared.

"Rebecca, she took you to a party?" He questioned her as she set the cup down softly onto its saucer and she put her free hand over Alex's where he held her arm softly.

"Yeah, she came by and picked me up, we went to some formal gathering with masquerade masks, I don't remember the name of the place," Romero felt a cold sweat, she had been taken to the Arcanum Club, the only women who were there, were the "Human Party Favors", no women were allowed to be there, it was a gentlemen's gathering. He knew Rebecca was up to no good, but why take her to such a place? What did she intend to do? She had tried killing her once and now she was trying to befriend her.

"Listen, Norma, stay away from Rebecca, she's not who she seems to be and she's no friend of mine." Alex said as Norma's small smile fell and her blue eyes grew concerned as she rubbed his hand on her arm.

"I know you guys are sleeping together, I'll stay away-." Norma joked as she hadn't noticed how serious Alex was.

"Norma, she was the one here at the house with you when you were arrested that night, she was the eyewitness that called the police on you. She hit you over the head with the bat and left you here to die." He said and Norma looked really afraid now as things were beginning to add up, she had told her to stay away from Alex and then befriended her when she forgot her memory of her visit to the house. Then they had gone to that strange party where she tried to get her drunk and that man had drugged her and left her in that room.

"I-…Alex…" Norma trailed off trying to find words, but she was freaked out by the whole events that had transpired, she had been in danger that whole time and had no idea. She remembered Rebecca talking to a man who had drugged her drink and she slipped into a strange sleep, her body had grown hot and her vision hazy.

"I…what should I do?" She asked Alex who saw a tear fall from her eye and clasped her hand and sighed.

"Stay away from her, I'll deal with her, okay?" He said. She looked to the floor trying to process everything that was happening and she felt him pull her into his arms and hold her. He massaged her back and buried his face in her hair, her hair smelled sweet and he inhaled her scent.

"I was worried about you," He started as Norma held her face into his chest where she could hear his heart beating.

"I called you and you didn't answer, we found a body this morning of a woman matching your description…and I thought…" He trailed off and she noticed his breath hitch and his heart beat faster, she felt his arms tighten around her.

"I thought that I never want to see you like that, I never want to have to identify you." He said and she could hear the hurt in his voice as they sat there calmly, he held her tight.

"I'm here…alive and warm…" Norma said as she met Alex's eyes and he smiled at her joke, but a strange air hung over the both of them.

"Danger always seems to find its way to you, Norma Bates." He said and she chuckled and wrapped her arms around him.

"I know." She replied and she felt him kiss her head softly, he looked down her neck as the scarf she wore slipped open a bit and he noticed faint red bruising with teeth marks.

* * *

"What do you mean she's dead?" Bob Paris said in frustration as he leaned over his desk looking to his secretary who let him know what had happened and he dismissed her quickly before going to sit in his large chair and calling someone.

"Hey, it's me, Bob. We prepared Room 13 for Alex down in the lower quarters of the mansion, did he arrive there and meet the model?" He questioned a man who had arranged for Alex to sleep with the expensive escort who was now dead and he wondered what his friend had done.

"No, he didn't. Another man instead came in later that night, Alex had gone into Room 4 where another escort had been in, she wasn't on the list though and left later that night with another escort named Annika Johnson." The man said over the phone as Bob felt sort of relieved that his friend had no strings attached to the dead escort he planned for him that night, but instead the rooms had been mixed up and he's gone in another room.

"Who went into Room 13?" Bob asked.

"A man with a green mask, he said you and he arranged for Alex to relax and that he would prepare the model for him. I have no I.D." The man over the phone said as Bob held a pressure ball in his hand and squeezed it as he was beginning to get upset.

"Okay, thanks, call Annika and tell her to come meet me in my office." Bob said as he hung up the phone and awaited Annika's visit.

* * *

5:00 a.m.

Annika had gone into a room where she found an escort fast asleep, she thought it to be her friend, but upon closer inspection it was someone she didn't know and assumed was new although she appeared older than the usual women who were hired.

"Hey, we need to go. Come on." She whispered as she pulled the woman from the man's arms as he was holding onto her, she ignored his snores or his sudden movement when she managed to get the woman awake.

"I'll take you somewhere to stay." She said as the blonde woman nodded and wobbled after her, she was put back in her black dress and underwear and torn nylons, she grabbed her purse and they left.

They arrived at a motel where Annika guided her into a room, where she vomited on the floor.

"Woah, now, you must be new if you still throw up after a couple of drinks." She said as she guided the woman to bed where she soon fell off after Annika left her in the room, leaving the key on the T.V. stand. The woman had then proceeded to take off all her clothes and wrapped herself in a white blanket and stood fast asleep on the floor.

 **Present**

8:30 p.m.

Annika stood in front of Bob Paris who she knew fairly well, she knew what he liked, but he never used her for his needs that much, he'd use her friend who she found out that they'd found in a river not too far from here.

"You wanted to see me?" She said as she stood in front of him dressed casually as the person who called mentioned it wasn't a private meeting.

"Yes, it seems things got mixed up last night with our escorts." He began as he shot her a glance from the pen he was twirling and she folded her arms over her chest as she took a seat.

"Yeah, I noticed by the newspapers in town." She said as she noticed he didn't look too annoyed by her remark as he had nothing to do with the death of the escort he favorited so much.

"It was unfortunate, but that's why you're here. A friend of mine and I arranged a room for a very important person, but it seems he didn't arrive at the destination we wanted him to and he went into another room. Room 4." He held the placard that read Room 4 and the DO NOT DISTURB on the backside of it, she stared at it before meeting his eyes.

"You, see, your little friend they found in the river was in Room 13, but the person who arrived wasn't the person that was supposed to and he may have something to do with her death, but that's not why I called you." He said as he set the pen down softly and adjusted his jacket as she lifted an eyebrow.

"So, why did you call me?" She asked as she looked to his computer quickly before looking back to him.

"The escort in Room 4, who was it?" He asked as she remembered the older woman who she helped home or a place to stay the least.

"She was new, I'd never seen her before." Annika said remembering the woman with blonde short curls and smoky eyes, her lips were red from a large amount of kissing and she was covered in marks which was unusual cause most men wouldn't kiss or do intimate things with the escorts.

"The person I intended to meet your friend in Room 13, he got mixed up and went into Room 4. I need to know the woman who was in the room, I believe she may have drugged him." He said as Annika lifted an eyebrow as she remembered the man, he had dark hair, his skin was tan, and he had a muscular build, she had noticed his eyelashes, they were thick and dark.

"I don't know her name, she didn't have any I.D. on her. When I arrived there the woman lying in the bed wasn't the one who should have been in there, but I helped her and took her to stay at a motel. She looked more drugged than him, she couldn't even move, I had to carry her to my car." Annika said as Bob just sat there listening with no emotion before he nodded.

"Okay, thank you Annika. That's all I needed to know. Oh, and let me know when you see her at the motel, ask for her name." He said as Annika left the room and he leaned back in his chair with a wide grin.

"Interesting"

* * *

"They found her body this morning, yeah, yeah." Rebecca stood at a pay phone outside of town as she spoke to a man over the phone.

"It's complicated that they found her body, but at least she's gone. Don't worry about it, I left no strand of evidence they could possibly find." He said as she looked slightly worried, but nodded into the phone as she shivered and her nose and cheeks became red from the chilly air. She looked up into the sky where sun hid behind the clouds.

"Okay?" She heard him say.

"Yeah, okay, but he knows it was me that left her in the house that night." She said as the man over the phone stood silent.

"George?" She called for him as he cleared his throat.

"Rebecca, your being paranoid. You need to relax and stay away from Sheriff Romero, you said what had to be said, even if he does know there's no way he can arrest you without getting himself arrested too by the DEA. The agreement I sat in was a setup, there's no way the DEA would work with illegal drug trade or prostitution, it's a chance for us to put in a mole so that when we get the chance we can bring down Sheriff Romero and soon after the two families linked with him. He's protecting them. Don't worry, he won't do anything stupid like arrest you, but his time will come…" George finished as hung up the phone and she looked to it hearing the end dial tone before she slammed it over the hilt and her change flowed down to the pit where the other coins stood in the darkness trapped.

Soon, Alex Romero would join that pit, she just had to be patient.

* * *

 **It's getting there. It really is.**

 **That was fun, I try to write after the other so the idea stays fresh in my mind, like I'm writing the next chapter out...like the chapters are going to get crazier and crazier.**

 **Norma is alive. I wouldn't kill her twice...that would be really fucked up.**

 **I read your guy's reviews which were very helpful, I'll work on changing the summary, but not the name, the name has significance to the what is going to happen in the story. I'm happy you guys like it and there was some Normero in this chapter, they'll be more coming soon. There just brief moments between them, like they pull at the heart strings so to speak.**

 **Next Chapter:** Thanksgiving Day


	8. Thanksgiving Day

November 23,

The day outside was beautiful, the sun glistened on the snow that had begun piling up before being melted away and the morning dew dripped from buildings and the cool exterior of cars. The motel read BATES MOTEL and outside was a parked Porsche with license plates reading that of many numbers and a different state then the one it was currently residing in.

Above from the motel stood a two-story house, a very old wooden house with snow on the roof above from the door, the snow was melting from the suns heat and left pools of water that slowly evaporated from the heat. On the outside of the house the grass was neatly filled with white spots of snow that were slowly becoming water and plants that had small icicles that were beginning to turn smaller and smaller from the penetration from the large orange sun.

"Good Morning, Mother." Norman approached his mother from behind as Norma stood in her blue robe making breakfast and Norman gave her a hug from behind and she smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Good Morning, Norman. Did you sleep, okay?" She asked as she made him a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. He went to the fridge and pulled out a gallon of orange juice and poured it in a short glass.

"Yes, I did. How are you feeling? After-…everything that happened?" He said stuttering to pry into the reason into his moms state several days before when he found her in the motel room passed out and unable to move. She stood quiet as she moved from the stove to the shelf and the sound of a clinking pan and plates could be heard before she sat down from Norman with a plate of her own.

"Yeah, I'm good." She said with pursed lips as she sank her teeth into some eggs making no eye contact with Norman as he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. His mom wasn't telling him the whole the truth and it made him uneasy, he felt his hand sweat and he balled it into a fist. Juno waddled into the kitchen and pawed at Norman's leg and snapped him from his thoughts as he pet her.

"Good Morning, Juno. How did you sleep?" He asked her as Norma looked over at the short scruffy dog who leaned into his touch.

That dog seemed so drawn to Norman, they'd do everything together, they'd sleep together, they'd work together, they'd walk together, they ate together, and sometimes while he bathed she sat waiting for him and handing him a towel. From what Dylan told her when he walked in on Norman bathing to shave.

"Good Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Bates." Dylan said jokingly, going to the fridge to grab a carton of milk which he drank straight from the carton and Norma grimaced at him.

"Dylan, get a glass." She scolded him with a look as he ignored her and went to make himself some toast which he spread jelly over and leaned over the counter eating his bread.

"So," Norma began after a long silence of them eating. "My brother is coming over today to spend Thanksgiving with us." She said and Norman dropped his fork on his plate making a loud noise and Dylan stopped his chewing as they both stood still.

"But, mother you said he's dangerous." Norman said leaning over to her and she shook her head and threw her napkin on her plate as she cleaned her teeth with her tongue.

"I did, but we've reached an agreement and I told him that he can spend Thanksgiving with us and after that to leave and not come back." She said as Dylan stood quiet about what his Mom had told him about her brother, Caleb, he looked at the back of Normans head. His brother had always been sensitive since they were kids, he was always quiet and would always stay with his mother and never made any friends.

"Okay, so we're all going to welcome him and have a nice dinner, okay?" She looked to both her sons and they looked at her with unsure glances, but Dylan shrugged and Norman appeared to be having a harder time accepting it. He had always been a bit jealous of people who tried to get close to his mom because he didn't want anyone to take her away from him. He turned his head from her and back to his empty plate and clasped his hand on the table into a fist.

"Okay, mother." He said after a long silence, she was satisfied with Normans answer and looked to Dylan as they both held a knowing gaze.

"Okay, Norma." He said putting the milk carton back in the fridge. Norman set his plate and glass in the sink and began washing it.

Norma just sat at the table in deep thought about her brother's visit, she didn't know when he would be arriving, but she had told him that he could only spend today with her and her sons and that after that to never come crawling back to her. She understood after receiving a phone call saying her mother died that there wasn't anyone left in this world for them, but Norma had created a new life with her sons who she called her family now, but Caleb he just could never let her go.

She sighed as she rested her forehead onto her fists and she heard Norman leave the kitchen and head out the door when she heard Dylan clear his throat.

"This is going to be a strange day." He said to his mother who watched her son lean on the counter. She didn't say anything.

"I don't know if I can sit through dinner knowing what I know and not want to confront him." He heard her breath hitch as she shook her head.

"Dylan, my brother is…very damaged. We both are. So, I want today to be about something happy and not to be about the past even though it is still something that I will never forget, but after today he won't come back ever again." She said as Dylan looked at his mother's expressions from sincere to nostalgic as she placed her hands by her plate picking it up and going to the sink to stand by her eldest son.

"Lets just have a happy Thanksgiving, okay?" She said with a tired smile as her son let out a heavy sigh and made a small smile.

"Okay, Mom." He said and she gave him a small hug which he reciprocated.

"Also, can you go into town and pick up some supplies for me, there some wood near the far end of the Motel that is really damaged and needs to be replaced. I called someone to install it for me, but they're not going to be able to do it until after Thanksgiving week and the wood is falling apart and snow has flooded the walls inside one of the rooms. It's a mess." She said going back to normal and Dylan noticed his mom's quick change in mood, he gave her a look that she hadn't noticed as she washed her dish and cup and set them to dry going passed Dylan.

"I can fix it, I'll bring over one of the guys down where I work." He said as Norma scrunched her eyebrows together in distaste and put a hand on her hip as she stopped her movements and turned to him.

"One of your weed friends?" He rolled his eyes as he swayed.

"Does it matter? We'll fix it. Don't worry we won't plant weed in the walls and make the motel stink of marijuana." He said sarcastically as Norma cocked her head and shot him a look.

"Don't say that. I just don't like you doing that." She said solemnly.

"It's just for now, Norma. Anyway, I'll bring down Gunner and we'll patch up the wood on the far end of the motel." He said getting ready to leave.

"What kind of name is Gunner?" He heard her say from the kitchen as he grabbed his black leather jacket and a short scarf before grabbing his car keys.

"A stupid one." He said as he closed the door behind him and went to his truck where he found Norman in the office staring at the wall.

"Norman, relax…he hasn't done anything. It's just a visit." Norman heard his mother say as she sat at one of the desk dressed in the light blue dress he liked her to wear, he loved when his mom dressed in blue it was his favorite color.

"No, it's not. There's something you're not telling me?" He said as his breathing began to grow rapidly and his pulse increased. He heard her chuckle.

"Norman, I've told you already everything. Nothing is going to happen, we'll just eat and be a happy family." She said sarcastically as he stared at the picture on the wall of a boat and his pupils dilated.

"No! We're not a family! He has no part in our lives." Norman snapped as he turned to face his mother who looked calm, but held a sly smile.

"So, what do you want me to do? Make him go away?" She questioned Norman who walked closer to his mom where she sat still. He stopped in the middle of the room.

"What do you mean go away?" He asked as his mother's expression turned sinister and she smiled at him when Dylan walked in.

"Who are you talking to, Norman?" He asked as he saw his brother facing the chair where Emma usually sat, he heard his brother talking and sounding very upset.

"No one, I was just thinking that um-." He saw his mother wink at him and he gave her a weird look as he heard his brother once more.

"Are you feeling alright, Norman?" He asked as Norman looked from his mother to Dylan.

"I'm fine. I'm just planning to meet someone in town and I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to say to them." Norman said with a calm smile as he placed his hands in his pockets calmly and Dylan just stared at him before nodding and going back to his car.

"That's my boy." His mother said as she clung to his arm and he rested his head on her hers.

* * *

The town held many decorations and even turkeys roamed around as festivities were underway, people were bustling about getting ready for the night where they would indulge in cheer with family and friends on a day chosen to be thankful for.

A man walked into town nervously as he had parked his car outside of a shop and went to look for a gift to give to his sister, this was the last day he could spend with her and then after he would never be able to see her again. Her blue eyes and her glow, he could imagine her opening the door and smiling at with innocence and a halo around her.

"Hi, I'm looking for a gift for my sister. What would you recommend for a beautiful woman?" He asked the clerk in the small gift store with many interesting trinkets, he didn't know what to get her.

"For a beautiful woman? Well, tell me more about her and I'll see what I can come up with." The clerk told him with a polite smile as he looked around the store and his eyes fell on blue, it was a color that always complimented her.

"She dresses very vintage, like 50's dress wear and she looks good in blue." He said as the clerk clapped their hands together.

"I know just the thing, follow me." He followed after her as outside the store stood a young teenage boy with a calm look on his face as he walked in the store.

"Hello, I'm here to pick up my order." He said as he took out his wallet and placed down his receipt card.

"Ah, to Norma Bates?" The owner said with a rosy smile as a blonde man turned around to the name and looked at the tall teenage boy with brown hair, he was dressed in a black coat and jeans. He couldn't see his face, but approached the teenage boy who grabbed the box that was neatly wrapped and had a sticker on it with a TO and FROM on it.

"You know Norma Bates?" He asked holding a trinket in his hand and record, the teenage boy turned to meet him, his eyes were a calm blue green and he looked similar to Norma.

"Yes, she's my mother. Who are you?" Norman answered the man as he looked at him in question, he was an older man with dirty blonde short hair and red eyes, he was dressed a bit thin for the weather in Oregon.

"I'm her brother, Caleb," Normans breath hitched as he shook Caleb's hand, he stood still for a second as he could hear Caleb talking, but not make out the words.

"Her brother?" Norman questioned innocently as his expression went back to being calm and Caleb smiled.

"Yeah, I've been on the road for a while and I thought I'd stop to see Norma, it's been a long time and we haven't seen eachother in years." Caleb said as the owner handed Norman another box which he signed off on quickly.

"Why is that?" Norman asked innocently as he noticed Caleb's change in expression as his smile fell slightly.

"You know things that happen in the past are like they happened yesterday, so, but I've come back to make things right. I'll be going over tonight." He said as Norman nodded in response, he looked down to the items in Caleb's hand before meeting Caleb's eyes.

"I'll look forward to it." Norman said as he left the store with the two boxes that were neatly wrapped, he felt the inside of him boil with anger.

Caleb watched the boy leave and went to the owner to cash out his items, he thought Norman to be a very polite kid, he looked more like his father than Norma, he had his eyes, hair, but some parts of him looked like her and he seemed similar to her in the things he said. He hadn't had the chance to see Dylan yet, that's who he was mainly focused on, that's what drew him to Oregon when he'd met with Dylan's father in bar saying how his son ain't his son.

He walked out into the cold air and walked back to his van, he drove around town and pulled into the hardware store and parked beside a black truck.

"This is going to take us a couple of days to do, Dylan." Gunner commented as he held several wood planks in his arms, they were going down the aisles when they ran into a man with blonde hair.

"Hey are you planning on using that in this weather?" He asked them as Gunner shot a look at Dylan of I told you so and Dylan ignored him.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, that wood is going to get all messed up with the weather up here, you use cedar it'll be able to withstand the moist temperature in this state." He said pointing to some planks above them that were stacked on eachother, Dylan looked to the paper in his hand Norma had wrote for him.

"Alright." Dylan said as Gunner placed the other wood back with the other ones and grabbed the cedar wood.

"What is it, you guys are building?" The man asked as Dylan held a basket, with nails, saws, and other tools, he shifted on one leg.

"Were repairing some dead wood on a motel, it's flooding one of the rooms interior wall and ruining the base." Dylan said as the man nodded.

"I can help you, I used to work on construction back in Indiana, I have some tools in my car if you want to save some money." The man said and Dylan looked him up and down and nodded.

"Sure." Dylan said.

* * *

The police station was calm on Thanksgiving, for the morning that is, but the officers were celebrating in their own way with the breakroom filled with sweets and some drinks. The officers were laughing and just kicking back as they went about their duties until it would be time to go home and be with their families.

"It's a very rare type of drug, it has no taste or smell, but it inflicts its victim with an aphrodisiac effect making them have an erection for several hours which can be painful due to its lasting duration no matter if it is released. It also effects vison and memory. Side effects can be nausea, vomiting, fever, cold sweats, sweating, headaches, dizziness, memory loss, and rashes." The medical doctor had told him several days ago, when the results came back and the Sheriff had nodded in response, but now he sat at his desk with the file on the young woman they had found in the tidal flats.

"Also, I found some strain of another drug similar to the same one you ingested that was in your spit." He remembered the medical doctor saying as he went to open the file and read it.

The toxicology report came back with only alcohol having been in her system and different D.N.A. samples inside her that were from different men, but none leading to the time of death. She had been strangled from behind from some type of elastic wire they identified as Christmas type of lights which explained the reddish burns around her collar bone and chest.

He had not heard back from Bob since he had called him several days ago, but he was going to have to go back up to the club to interrogate him which was going to be a daunting task. For now, Bob was staying quiet and not doing anything suspicious. He recognized the girl as being one Bob's regulars and he knew his friend wouldn't have killed her. He's killed lots of people, but he would have to have had a reason to kill her and dump her body in such a way. It wasn't like him to leave a body where people could find it and he couldn't go and ask for his input because currently Bob was in Europe.

He sighed and rubbed his face when his door opened to reveal a worried looking Norman who went to take a seat. He didn't talk much to Norman, he was a quiet kid who kept to himself and Norma always seemed to guard him like if she were holding a secret she wanted no one to find out, but here he stood in front of him.

"Sheriff Romero." He heard Norman say as he looked to him in response and leaned forward in chair putting the file away.

"Yes, Norman. What can I do for you?" He said as he felt a tugging feeling in his gut, there was something about the teenage boy that always made Romero feel uneasy.

"I believe there's a man who may try to hurt my mom." He said as Romero stared at him calmly through his dark lashes as his heart began to slowly pound against his chest and legs felt light.

"What?" Romero questioned as Norman nodded.

"I believe my mother's brother may try and harm her." Norman said as Romero relaxed when Norman said brother, he had met Caleb at the front door, but he had noticed as well that Norma did not seem happy to see him and figured out she was the one who beat him. Caleb had mentioned something happened between them and that she'd never forgiven him, but he seemed sincere about being reunited with his sister again.

"Norman, I'm sure your mother is fine. I met with him in town, he's just passing through, I understand where you're coming from. Sometimes it can be difficult when a new man enters your life and it feels like he's trying to get in between you and your mom, but it's not like that." Romero said as he noticed Norman look uneasy, he was sliding his hands up and down his legs nervously as he rested them on his knees.

"No, he's dangerous and he's probably forcing her to let him come over today, maybe against her will even." Norman said with eyes that were full of fear and anger as he began talking faster and Romero let out a click of his tongue.

"Okay, if it makes you feel any better…Norma invited me to join you guys for Thanksgiving Dinner which I declined because it's not very appropriate of me to intrude on you, but if it will set your mind at ease I'll come over tonight to make sure nothing happens." Romero said as he noticed Norman relax, he seemed to lean into his chair and looking to his hands for answers.

"Yeah, that sounds good, but don't tell my mother. She'll be upset with me if she finds out I told you. I'm doing this for her own good." Norman said as he felt his mother's eyes on him as she sat beside him with a red lip.

"Alright, I'll be over tonight. It's going to be okay." Romero said as he stood up and patted Normans back heartily as he guided the young teen out of his office who looked more at ease then when he walked in. He decided to hold onto the deal they made to not mention anything to Norma and he went back to work.

* * *

Dylan arrived at the motel a few hours later with Caleb following behind, Caleb looked a bit hesitant as he recognized the motel and the house above it.

"You work here?" He asked Dylan who helped Gunner unload the cedar from the truck.

"Nah, I live here with my mom." Dylan said as he held his back to Caleb and reached in the backseat for bags of other materials and tools they would need to fix the inside of the rooms and the outer walls and such. Behind him, Caleb was glued to the ground as he stared at Dylan, he had waited for this moment for a long time and he stared really hard at Dylan.

"You gonna help or not man?" Gunner said bumping him slightly as he walked around to the back of the motel to where the wood was chipping and falling apart due to the moist weather that was eating away at it and flooding the inside wall which they would have to replace.

"Yeah." Caleb responded as he unhooked his hands from his pockets and went inside his van where he grabbed two metal boxes filled with tools and electric grills. Dylan brought the hand saw and they set up the sight in the back of the motel near the most damage, they began by tearing out the wood and pounded on it with large hammers.

Up the stairs leading towards the wooden house was a woman inside who bustled about preparing large plates of food, she went about cooking the last of what was needed and went into the main dining room which she never used, only for special occasions. She set the table with a white table cloth and set the most beautiful plates she owner with forks, spoons, and knives neatly tucked in where they needed to be. She grabbed some long candles and stacked them on the beautiful silver candled holders at the table with a fresh bouquet of flowers.

She heard music playing in the living room where she had placed a record down from the collection of records the previous owner had left. There was a lot of old music, but really good hits Norma remembered when growing up, she swayed to the music as she bustled about the house cleaning. She looked for Juno who she couldn't find anywhere and assumed she'd gone with Norman into town.

She turned off the oven and fire, she took off her apron and put on her tan coat and went down to the motel where she attended the desk and read over the recent surveys of guests. Her eyes glossed over a name, Annika Johnson, she checked in four days ago, and was supposed to be checking out today, she looked outside and noticed the sports car. She opened up the log book and noticed Normans handwriting and the time she had checked in, she had checked in when she left for the party that night four days ago.

"Annika Johnson." She said out loud as she went to knock on the room and got no response until someone patted her on the shoulder and she turned to see a beautiful tall young woman with long blonde wavy hair and pretty blue eyes. She looked like a model.

"Hi, are you looking for me?" She asked Norma who looked to her than to the room and straighten her jacket out.

"Yeah, are you Annika Johnson." Norma asked as the girls smile widened and she nodded.

"Yes, I am."

"Oh, I was just wondering. Your scheduled to check out today, so I was just checking on you. I hadn't been here when you arrived. My son must have checked you in." Norma said as they shook hands.

"Your son, Norman?" She asked as Norma smiled.

"Yeah, I see you've met him." Annika seemed taken back as she recognized Norma, but she had no idea she was the mother of Norman, he had explained how much he loved his mother, but little did he know what his mom did or done. Annika was tasked with the job from Bob Paris to find the prostitute from Room 4, but it was apparent that there was a guest unaccounted for.

"Listen, I don't how to tell you this, but um, by any chance was there a guest in Room 11. I checked it yesterday, but the person was gone." Annika said as she didn't want to jump to conclusions, Norma indeed matched the description as the woman she had brought to the motel. She noticed Norma tighten up and look to Room 11, she bit her tongue.

"Room 11? Was there someone in there?" She asked Annika.

"Actually, there wasn't, but I brought someone home with me who was in no state to drive and I left my key somewhere else. So I looked for a key and found Room 11's. I'm sorry, I'll cover whatever they may have done." Annika said as Norma seemed glued on the spot and was going to ask Annika about where she'd found Norma when there was a loud sound.

*BANG* *CRASH* *CRACKLE*

Norma snapped her attention to the sound and walked down the hall and turned the corner near the ice box and found Dylan, the weed kid, and her brother Caleb.

"Norma." Caleb said as Dylan set the hammer down and Gunner kicked the dead wood out of the way as Dylan looked to Caleb who was looking at Norma who stood still for a moment. It always made her uneasy to be around her brother, but she soon regained her composure and realized Dylan had no idea that the man he was working with was her brother.

"You know my mom?" Dylan looked to Caleb with a questioning stare.

"I more than know her, I'm her brother." Caleb said looking from Norma to Dylan who dropped the hammer onto the gravel and Norma saw her son go into shock.

"What?"

Norma watched her son begin to ball his fists and get really upset, she'd never seen him like that and when she saw him ready to approach Caleb who hadn't noticed.

"Dylan." She shot him a look and he stopped.

"So, this is Dylan." Caleb said looking from Norma back to Dylan who gave him an indifferent look, he felt uneasy and didn't want to be anywhere near Caleb knowing what he'd done. Norman was already off the deep end, who knows what he'd do if he found Caleb at the house, he had to tell his mom about Norman and his relapse this morning.

"Hey, mom, can I talk to you for sec?" Dylan said leaving Caleb and Gunner and pulling her to the side and going back to the OFFICE when they ran into Annika who was waiting for Norma.

"I'm so sorry Annika, I'll ask Norman if he saw anyone leave that room." Norma said leaving Dylan and walking ahead.

"It's fine. Here's my card. Call me." Annika said giving Norma a knowing look and Norma stared at the card before putting it in her pocket.

"Who was that?" Dylan asked as he pulled up to her and Norma shook her head as she watched Annika get in her car and drive away. She had so many questions and so much on her mind, she had Caleb, and then Dylan, and Norma had gone off somewhere and she just hoped he was okay.

"Norma." She heard Dylan call her, she rubbed her forehead.

"It was no one, now what did you want to talk about?" Norma asked him and he took her into the OFFICE and closed the door behind them.

"It's Norman. Before I left to the hardware store I found him in here staring at the wall," Dylan said as he pointed to the picture of the boat on the wall and standing where Norman stood earlier. Norma waved her hand.

"He was probably just looking at the picture. He's easily drawn to things like that, Dylan." Norma said avoiding Dylans desperate look as he walked back to Norma.

"He was standing there for at least 15 minutes Norma, that's not normal and I came in here to check on him and heard him talking to himself." Dylan said as Norma just made a noise with her mouth.

"How is that strange? I talk to myself all the time and maybe he was just lost in thought." Norma said making excuses for her youngest son, he hadn't had an episode since they were in Arizona and he had murdered his father without even realizing and she swore for as long as she lived she wouldn't tell him, ever.

"Norma, he was talking to you, he thought he was. He thinks he's you. He was saying that you were going to make Caleb go away and he asked you what you meant by that. He's not right, Norma." Dylan said as Norma was alarmed at this, she had been in the house when he came down to the motel, she had no idea what was wrong with her son, but he had been getting better and she'd figure there was nothing wrong.

"Dylan, he's just upset about Caleb being here. Once, Caleb leaves I'm sure he'll go back to being himself." Norma said getting up as Dylan pressed on.

"So, are we just going to forget this happened?"

"Yes! Dylan. We are going to forget about it and move on!" She raised her voice as she went to the door and slammed it behind her where she found Norman approaching her as she walked up the stairs.

"Oh, dear, mother I didn't want you to see the gifts I got for you and Dylan for Christmas. I wanted it to be a surprise." He said with a small smile holding the two small boxes under his arm. Norma looked to her son flustered and hugged him tightly and he looked confused as he could feel his mother shake slightly.

"Are you alright, Mother?" Norman asked her from where his face rested on her shoulder and he could hear her voice quiver. She held her son tightly before pulling apart and kissing him on his cheek leaving a little lipstick stain.

"I'm fine. Everything's fine." She said as she held onto his free arm and they walked up to the house.

* * *

It was night now, all the people of the town stood with their families or respectable areas of pleasure and cheer. The town was lit up beautifully with warm lights and outside of town stood the BATES MOTEL and above from it was a house with warm lights appearing outward that let any passerby know that someone was home.

Norman and Dylan sat in the living room with Caleb, they had been chatting and Norman seemed calm from what Dylan had noticed unlike earlier that day when he noticed his brother had a hostile side to him. Dylan didn't feel exactly comfortable being around Caleb and he had noticed Caleb seem more interested in getting to know him than Norman.

"So how old are you guys?" He said looking from Norman to Caleb.

"18." Norman said.

"24" Dylan answered.

"Wow, you guys are really big. I remember seeing you guys when you were kids." Caleb said as Norman caught onto this.

"You've met us before?" Norman asked and Dylan noticed his brother tense up.

"No, I went to see Norma a while back, but she had told me to leave. I seen you two though, outside playing." He said with a smile as he rubbed his hands together nervously and Dylan sat apart from his brother on the couch as Caleb sat in front of them on a sofa chair.

"Hey, Norman, let's go drink a beer." Dylan said as Norman shot his brother a strange look. He grabbed his brother by the arm.

"You want one?" He asked Caleb who shook his head.

"No, I'm alright."

He and Norman went into the kitchen where they smelled the most delicious of scents and found their mother bustling about, they had tried to help her, but she kicked them out so they were seated in the living room awkwardly.

"Norma." Dylan said as his mom looked at the both of them.

"You two are behaving, right?" She asked giving them both looks as they shrugged.

"Were doing okay." Dylan answered for Norman who stood next to him awkwardly and Dylan grabbed two bottles of beer and went out the back door with Norman when Norma turned around fixing up a dish.

"Listen, I know you want to tear his head off and murder him, but we need to listen to Norma. He's going to be here only for today and then tomorrow we won't ever see him. So, you need to fuckin relax." Dylan said opening the bottling and taking a huge gulp before opening the other one and shoving it in Normans hand which he held quickly, afraid it might fall.

"I'm not happy either with him here." Dylan admitted as Norman stared at the bottle and Dylan clinked his with Normans.

"It'll make you feel better." Dylan said as Norman downed the contents and coughed afterward and Dylan remembered him doing the same when Norman had told him about Keith Summers.

"I told Sheriff Romero." Norman said as Dylan looked to him.

"You what?"

"He's dangerous, Dylan. What if he's making Norma do things against her will or will try to hurt her? You heard her at the hospital." Norman said with watery eyes, he was a guilty drunk and Dylan felt a smile creeping to his face, but just stared at his brother.

"She just does things that don't make sense, sometimes." Norman said as a few tears fell from his eyes.

*DING* *DONG*

They both looked at eachother and Dylan shook his head.

"You didn't?" He said.

They both arose and went to the side of the house to see Sheriff Romero standing there dressed in normal clothes, he was wearing a nice dress jacket and some black jeans with black dress shoes. In his hand was a pie.

"He said mom invited him, but he declined her offer and when I went to see him, he said that he'd come over tonight to make sure nothing would happen." Norman said as Dylan watched Norma open the door for Romero with a wide smile and her face lit up as she let him in.

"Norman I know how to shoot a gun. If something would happen, I would be there to stop it." Dylan said turning his brother to face him.

"I'm sorry, Dylan. I-I just, you and mom, seemed so relaxed by the whole thing I didn't know what to do." Norman said as more tears fell from his eyes and out from under the house came the dog, Juno.

"Juno!" Norman said picking up the dirty dog. She'd been missing since the morning and Norman had been looking for her and found her coming out from the under the house.

"How did she get in there?" Dylan said as Norman shrugged.

"I don't know, but I'm glad she's okay." Norman said hugging the pup tightly and it whined in response.

Inside the small entrance before entering the house Norma and Alex stood, Norma was dressed in a blue dress with a belt tied around her waist, it gave a view of her collarbone and neck which Alex notice was clear, there wasn't a trace of he'd noticed a yesterday.

He'd come over to see how she was feeling after Norman and Dylan told him they couldn't find her several days before, before Norman admitted she was in a motel room, the same he had stayed in and that she was sick. He had come to see her a few days later and spoke with her, he felt a closeness between them in the moment they'd shared on the couch. He held her and she allowed him to, she didn't push him away and she didn't lie to him, but looked at him and trusted every word he told her and when he held he found her neck with red bruising and teeth marks and he felt sick to himself. He had left right after, but she had taken no notice to his sudden departure.

Now, he stood once again in front of her, he held no feelings for her, but with each moment he spent around her, he felt himself begin to fall. With each touch and smile he felt himself begin to fall deeper. He knew she had been sleeping with Zach Shelby and other people, but he had never cared because he was also sleeping with other people and why did it matter?

She was just a widow motel owner with two sons. She was just another civilian in town and nothing more, but from the very moment he met her, he knew she would be trouble and that he would never get away. Every moment he spent with her, he tried never to get close to her because he saw no reason to get close to people. After, his mother died he had lost himself, he had joined the Marines and learned to never fall for anyone, to never feel and being Sheriff in White Pine Bay it was not safe to be sentimental towards anything or anyone.

"Alex, I didn't think you were gonna come." He heard he say as he met her innocent blue eyes, she looked beautiful even with the dirty apron she had tied around her waist. He felt himself smile, a real smile as she gave him a hug and she seemed really happy at him being here.

"I didn't think I was either." He lied to her, he wasn't going to come, he had told himself not to get anymore closer to Norma Bates, but then her son came to him in desperation and there was something not right about her youngest son. He didn't want anything to happen between her son and Caleb, but now his attention was back to Caleb because Norma personally seemed afraid of him when he showed up on her doorstep.

He had decided to come to make sure nothing would happen. Not for Norman, but for his own self-interest and he felt himself fall once more when she held his hand and guide him in the house with her bright smile and her blonde curls bouncing with each stride.

"Where are your sons?" Romero asked as she looked around for them

"I don't know, they went out back." Norma answered as Romero looked to the living room where Caleb sat awkwardly and Romero guessed her sons weren't very comfortable around Caleb and had took the first chance to slip out for some air.

"Sit, here, I'll go get them, I'm almost done, so just wait a little bit longer." She said as she Alex down on the couch where Dylan and Norman sat at before they left.

"You remember, Caleb, right Alex?" Norma said motioning towards Caleb who stood up and shook hands with Romero.

"I ran into him in town." Alex said as Norma shot him a look which he ignored and took Caleb's hand in greeting.

"Yeah, it's nice to see you again. Your advice worked. She did come around." Caleb said with a smile as he looked to Norma who was staring at Alex in question.

"Your brother was unsure of whether you would forgive him and I told him you would come around, eventually." Alex said with a friendly smile as Norma looked to the ground and Alex noticed her shift in attitude before she looked to Caleb.

"Yeah, I guess I did." She said with a small smile and Caleb's smile widened.

"Now you two just wait here, I'll go find Dylan and Norman." She said as she went back in the kitchen, her heels clinking with every movement.

"I didn't know you were going to be here." Caleb said as he relaxed into the chair with Alex's familiar presence that didn't seem sour like with the boys who obviously didn't like him.

"I didn't think I was either, to tell you the truth." Alex chuckled as he leaned into the couch and adjusted his tie.

"So how do you know Norma?" Caleb asked as Alex shifted in his seat.

"You guys together?" Caleb asked slightly irked by the idea even though Norma had two children from two different men.

"No, we met due to certain circumstances. Trouble seems to call to Norma and through that I've gotten to know her really well." Alex said remembering when they first met outside of the motel where she had been cutting up the rugs and disposing of Keith Summers right under his nose. She lied to him, she had been lying and he could just feel it in those moments of first contact that she would cause him trouble.

"It sure does." Caleb agreed with a snort as Dylan and Norman walked back in and sat on the couch with Alex and Alex noticed neither of them wanted to sit beside Caleb, Norman stood in the middle and Dylan stood on the left side while Alex stood in the right side. He also noticed how calm they looked and the smell of light alcohol on their breaths.

"Hey, Romero." Dylan said from his side of the couch as Alex leaned forward and waved and his eyes fell on Norman who smiled at him.

"So, what was it like growing up with Norma Bates?" Alex questioned to make conversation as the two boys seemed to be making things really awkward by staying quiet, but then they looked to Alex with a look like why did you just ask that. Dylan looked a bit interested to hear what Caleb had to say because his mom was a natural liar, she lied to him about almost everything, but when she told him about her brother she seemed to be very sincere and truthful, but to hear another person was something else.

"Well, uh, we were very close." Caleb said.

"What happened?" Norman said as the mood went sour fast.

"I'm gonna put on a record." Dylan said getting up to go to the record player where he picked a disk and music began playing. Alex shifted in his seat uncomfortably and shot Norman a swift look and he mouthed a sorry.

"Dinner's ready!" Norma shouted coming into the living room with a bright smile as she saw all 4 of them with depressed looks. Dylan was in the corner standing beside the record player looking at it for answers, Caleb was rubbing his hands nervously as he looked to his shoes, Alex was rubbing his chin, and Norman looked as if someone had taken Juno away from him.

"What the hell is the matter with all of you? Dinner is ready." She said putting her hands on her hips as they all turned their attention on her, Alex was the first one to get up and walked past Norma to the dining room.

"Good timing." She heard Alex say as Norman followed after him and he gave Norma a sorry look.

Dinner went a lot smoother than when waiting for Norma, they had all sat down at the table, Dylan and Norman sat on the right side of the table, near the wall, Norman sat by Norma and Dylan sat near Caleb which wasn't too happy about, but kept his cool. Alex sat on the left side of the table by Norma, he kept a curt smile as Norma had lifted her glass. There was a lot of food and it looked very delicious, she was always cooking something every time Alex would come to see her, either cooking or cleaning.

"I just want to say, that I'm happy to have all of you here with me, it's been a long time since I've had this many people at one table." She said as she looked to her brother, she remembered the holidays that would celebrate alone, she closed lowered her eyes with a nostalgic smile and Alex stared at her.

"So, um, I'm thankful for all of you being here." She said with a chuckle and everyone else followed suit. The table was full of men and only Norma was there, she wondered about Emma and how she was celebrating with her father, but no mother. She passed around plates as everyone took a piece of food from each and stacked their plates. The sound of forks moving against the glass plates could be heard.

"Were thankful for you too, Norma Bates." Alex said in a whisper and she gave him a small smile in between them eating.

Later, that night the men went outside to drink beer and Norma was in the kitchen cleaning the dishes, the men had asked if they could help, but she'd push them outside. Norman returned later saying he was feeling sick from the beer and was going to lie down in his for a while and she gave him a kiss on his forehead.

Alex was in the kitchen helping Norma even though she told him not to, he was drying the plates for her and putting them away.

"I'm glad you came, Alex. I didn't want you spending Thanksgiving eating T.V. dinners and watching Cheaper By the Dozen or something." Norma said as Alex smirked as he chuckled and shook his head.

"That's funny. I usually do that." He said as she turned to him.

"Really?"

"Not Cheaper by the Dozen, but I watch the Nation Lampoon Vacation." He admitted as Norma let out a cute laugh with curious eyes as she scrubbed the plate in her hand.

"Are you serious?" She asked as she was in shock at what he had just admitted to her and she didn't know if it was the wine or what, but it was unlike him to ever be truthful. He was always trying to be tough and stoic.

"Yes, Norma I am." He answered as he grabbed the plate from her hand and placed it in the cabinet. They had finished cleaning and sat at the small table in the kitchen to eat desert which was chocolate cake with cool whip and strawberries. They were talking casually and laughing at different things when a song began to play and Norma stopped to hear it.

"You know this song?" She asked Alex who looked around trying to hear the slow melody begin to play and she grabbed his hand and led him into the living room.

 _You may not be an angel…_

It began and Alex looked at the record twirling around and he stood very close to Norma and they had drunken at least 3 glasses of wine now and were red in the face. Norma was grinning ear to ear as she held his hand before grabbing the other one and leading him on in a swaying movement. He turned away shyly with a shy smile as he held onto her waist and they swayed, her hands rested over his arms that held onto her and they swayed back and forth.

"What has gotten into you, Norma?" He joked as she shook her head and leaned in close to him wrapping her arms under his, she stared up at him from her chest.

"I'm just happy to have a family, I've never had one before…I've always dreamt of having a beautiful house where friends come and go. I feel so happy to be spending it with people I love." She said as she layed her head over his chest.

 _The human little faults you do have…_

Alex stared down at her.

 _Just make me love you more…_

He didn't say anything, but held her close and they swayed to the music, little moments like these were becoming more frequent and more intimate. Alex was beginning to fall more and more, but now he found no reason to stop himself, at least not in this moment where there didn't seem a problem in the world. Not a single one.

The only thing he could think of was the woman he held in his arms, the woman who caused him so much trouble, but he would always respond on command like a loyal dog. He felt the heat she radiated and he rested his chin on her head softly as they continued to sway.

* * *

"You had sex with my mother?" Dylan started as he and Caleb stood out in the back with beer, they had been posted back there with Norman. After, Norman left Dylan decided to confront Caleb, to hear what he had to say.

"It wasn't like that." He started as Dylan shifted and he glared at Caleb in the dark, there was a small light outside.

"Are you calling my mother a liar?" He questioned him as Caleb shook his head and turned away from Dylan.

"You raped my mother, against her will when you guys were kids." Dylan said as Caleb took a seat on the cooler shaking his head.

"I…came back to ask for forgiveness." He said pathetically.

"Why? Why did you do it?" Dylan began to raise his voice and Caleb looked up to meet his eyes that were full of anger.

"I was young…I didn't know…"

"You were older than her, you knew exactly what you were doing." Dylan said raising his voice.

"It just happened and after it did she wanted it to stop and I couldn't let that happen…I just loved her so much-." Dylan kicked Caleb from the cooler knocking him down on the grass, Caleb slowly turned around from the grass with a bloody lip.

"She's your sister!" Dylan said as he stood over Caleb who tried to pick himself up from the grass, but kept falling and held himself up with his elbow.

"You can't help who you love." Caleb said and Dylan kicked him again and punched him in the face. He was so upset with Caleb, he couldn't understand how his mother could let him into the house and pretend nothing was wrong. How she could stand being in the same room as the monster who had raped her and had a sick fantasy about his feelings for her.

"She never told you, but I'm your father, Dylan. That's why I came back." Caleb coughed out as he spit some blood on the ground.

"So, what you're my Dad and Uncle?" Dylan laughed as he picked Caleb up from the ground.

"How does that sound? Just listen to yourself." Dylan shouted as cold air blew out of his mouth due to the chilly air and the small amount of snow that was falling. Caleb looked into his eyes huffing.

"I just wanted to be with her…it's been just me and her from the beginning." Caleb said as he started to sob.

"Norma is all I have left in this world." Caleb said as Dylan knocked him to the floor. He heard the wooden door slam open and saw Romero come out with a concerned look as he looked at Caleb on the floor who was sobbing and bleeding through his nose and had a busted lip.

"What the hell are you doing?" Romero asked Dylan calmly who just stared down at Caleb with clenched fists that were red from making impact with hard bone, his nose was red from the cold air and he blew out puffs of smoke.

"This isn't something that can be fixed." Dylan said as Romero just looked at him waiting for him to explain why he had beat up his uncle.

"You come here and pretend that nothing happened, but she told me about how you would force her against her will." Dylan said as Romero stood still and looked at Caleb who layed on the snowy grass crying.

"It wasn't…I never meant to hurt her." Caleb said trying to get up as Romero watched him and Dylan from the door way as he slowly stepped down the stairs.

"Dylan." Romero started as Dylan kept glaring at Caleb who was slowly trying to get up.

"No, he deserves it. You slept with your sister." Dylan said as Romero stood completely still, he felt a rising sickness in his gut, he felt his blood become hot.

"I'm not you son, either." Dylan said walking past Caleb who was on his knees and passing Romero who didn't even try stopping him. He just stood still, he was looking at Caleb with strange eyes.

"I never meant to hurt her. I love Norma." Caleb said as Romero clasped his hands tightly before releasing them as he tried to make a quick decision.

"I think you should go." Alex said after a long silence and Caleb looked up at him as he arose.

"There's a gift I left for her, it's under where I was sitting. Please give it to her." Caleb said as he swayed slightly before regaining his balance and slowly walking passed Alex and going down the stairs before looking back at the house one last time.

Alex stood outside for a while, he took a seat on a small bench and put his head in his hands as he went back in the house and upstairs to where he put Norma to bed since she'd fell asleep from the wine. He watched her sleeping peacefully and he set the gifts down Caleb had left under his seat. He looked at Norma one last time before leaving.

* * *

"I have her name." A young girls voice said into her cellphone which she clung to her ear.

"Oh really?" She heard the man over the phone say.

"Yeah, she wasn't an escort. Her name is Norma Bates." The girl said as the man over the phone stood quiet.

"Thank you, that will be all."

* * *

 **Long chapter.**

 **So the chapters are slowly getting crazier, in this one we get to see Norman black out and talk to mother in the OFFICE, that was cool to write.**

 **Also, its sort of a twist because Dylan is the one who is more hostile towards Caleb than Norman.**

 **Were not done with crazy just yet, things will start to get even more crazier later. I put some Normero, it's building up guys, believe me. The chapters to come; it's on its way. The ship is going to full sail. LOL**

 **Honestly, I don't even know how my idea for this story is going to fall into place because the idea I actually have which made me start writing this is the total opposite of everything's that's been happening. Like, I don't know how yall are gonna take it. Your gonna be like really? Or maybe like oh sweet it's like that?**

 **Fuck it.**

 **That's why writing the summary and title have been difficult because I can't write it without spoiling what is actually going to happen. Although, I did edit the summary, but the title holds significance so I won't be changing it.**

 **Your reviews are very sweet. I appreciate them. Thanks. For those of you who are to shy to review, don't worry I'll keep writing.**

 **Next Chapter:** The Winter Light's Festival


	9. Winter Light's Festival

**December**

The town was bustling about with vibrant Christmas colors and Christmas decorations, green and red colors were in as they painted many corners and shops, cars were driving through the Village getting things ready for the Winter Light's Festival. There stands being put up, food trucks setting up in their appropriate designations, and builders putting up the sets and fixing the lights for the night.

Through the Village strolled a 1960's vintage green Mercedes with a beautiful woman behind the steering wheel, she held a red head scarf that hung loosely as her blond curls broke through and rested on her blushed cheeks, she wore a dark blue wool coat adorned with golden buttons and belt to tie together in the front, she wore dark pants with boots with short heel.

She turned her wheel to the left as she turned back around realizing the road was cut off ahead and that she would have to walk to get to the market. She pulled up a few streets over and parked in front of some houses before getting off her car and locking it behind her, she adjusted the strap of her purse over her shoulder and walked down the street. The snow had stopped at least for now, there were chances of it picking up, she looked up into the sky as the gleamed not as brightly but bright enough when it would tear through the clouds to bring warmth to the land. She smiled as she walked down the side walk, passing the houses, she looked around at other people with children who seemed excited and in a rush to get something underway. She assumed it was Christmas seeing as it was on Sunday.

She herself was making a quick stop to get a few things for the Christmas Dinner she would prepare for her and her sons. It was a first that she would spend with the both of them especially with everything that's happened since they moved to White Pine Bay and even before. She thought on her son, Dylan, he was always so distant from her, but now he was coming around and she felt as if their relationship was better than ever. It put her mind at ease to know her eldest son was there for her in case anything would happen.

The town was not that large, outside of the Village were houses that had been there for years, they all held unique touches to them to prove their origin. She found them all cute to look at as she hadn't walked outside of the Village before and seeing the houses reminded her of the dream she used have when she was a little girl of living a beautiful white house with flowers and a garden, she would vintage furniture and beautiful curtains and friends and family who would just fill the house with cheer. A happy life.

She made it into the Village after 2 more blocks of houses she strolled by, she even stopped to stare at some, but she made it into the Village and noticed everyone in the street going about setting up some type of set. Festival? She wasn't all that informed on the towns festivities seeing as the other owners had distance themselves from her due to the murders and rumors hanging over her which she was annoyed by, but didn't let her bother her. She was sophisticated woman, a single mom who was running a business with her son, she wasn't going to let some paranoid townspeople talk get the best of her. She passed by a pregnant woman who walked passed her with her husband, as she rounded to the side and entered the supermarket opening the glass doors.

'That's right, I should go have a checkup.' She thought to herself after walking into the supermarket and grabbing a cart, she pushed it forward as she walked down several aisles picking what needed to be selected. She rolled up to the checkout counter after about 30 minutes of debating and staring hard at the prices of certain meats and items.

"Hey, is there some kind of festival happening?" She asked the young cashier who looked at her a bit taken aback.

"You don't know? It's the Winter Lights Festival, we have it every year on Christmas Eve." The young cashier said with a tone that made the woman feel like an idiot and she squinted her eyes at the cashier when they looked down at the item and ringed them through.

"I just moved her about two years ago, I live outside of town by the main road, we don't get much news out there until way later or never." Norma said with an attitude as the young cashier just seemed to shrug and the woman turned her head away from the teen and outside to the people working.

"That'll be $103. 76." The cashier said snapping the woman from her gazing and she took out her debit card, she handed to the cashier.

"Norma Bates." The cashier read it out loud and several customers around her looked in her direction and she felt put off.

"You're the owner of the BATES MOTEL." The young cashier said sliding the card through and punching several buttons in the box beside her.

"Well, Mrs. Bates, the Winter Light's Festival starts at around 8:30 p.m. if you want to see it." The cashier said handing her back her card and Norma just stared at the teen, most of the people in town were rude to her, but the teen was the nicest person and she felt herself get emotional.

"Thank you. I will." Norma said with a genuine smile as she placed her bags in her cart and walked away from the teen with a brand-new sense of purpose. She had tried many things to get involved in the town which all backfired on her so she had decided to just lay low and not draw any more attention to herself.

"Norma." She heard someone call her as she was walking back to her car carrying the pug theme tote bags with her groceries inside, she turned around to see Alex in his uniform. He had on his leather jacket and his cheeks were a bit rosy from the cold air. He approached her as she greeted him with a white smile.

"You need some help?" He said reaching to grab one of the themed tote bags, he grabbed one that read Eco and Environment, she handed two to him and held the other two in her left hand,

"Sure."

"Last minute, shopping or what?" He asked her as they casually walked back to her car, they strolled by the houses with many Christmas lights adorning them and figurines on the outside.

"You could say that, Christmas dinner for me and my sons." Norma said looking to Alex.

"Your brother left already?" Alex questioned as Norma's mood seemed to drop slightly from happy to uncertain as she made a click of her tongue.

"I don't know. After Thanksgiving, he just left that night, I thought he would stay the night, but I guess he didn't." Norma said looking ahead of her avoiding Alex's gaze, he had found Dylan and Caleb mid quarrel and found out the truth of why Norma and Caleb didn't talk to eachother. He had felt sick that night when he'd found that out, sick in not a way he wanted to throw up, but a way that Alex hadn't felt before since when he was a Marine and gone off to war. He remembered going through a small town and following his squad through a house that had been bombed and they'd found corpse and amongst them was a young child that was bloody and had been desecrated due to the explosion that had fallen on the brick house. He remembered feeling apart of him die out in that country and he lost something he would never be able to regain. He'd heard of cases like Caleb working as the Sheriff, but to hear it from a person you personally know and to find out that the woman that you know to be fiery and full of power had been living in fear from the acts inflicted on her years ago.

"That's unfortunate." Alex said a bit too harsh and she turned to him at the sound of his tone and he looked at the house they passed which was decorated with the Night Before Christmas themes.

"Do you know about the Winter Light's Festival?" She asked him as they walked side by side approaching her car, she'd popped the trunk as he placed the bags inside.

"I'm the Sheriff, I know everything." He joked with a sly smile and she chuckled.

"No, um, we have it every year on Christmas Eve, this Saturday. The town sets a bunch of stands that sell eggnog and celebratory food. We have games, music, and dancing. The lights are spectacular at night, they may look kind of strange right now, but once they finish it comes together." Alex said as Norma leaned on her car listening to his description of the Festival and she was debating of whether to go or not because her and Norman still needed to go and pick a Christmas tree, Dylan had joked about make a Weed Tree and putting a star on top of it and lighting it up.

"Will there be funnel cake?" She asked with a curious smile as he chuckled and shifted on his right leg with his hands buried in his pockets from the chilly air. The sun was hiding behind the clouds and the air picked up.

"Yes, they serve the best funnel cake, but you have to come early or it'll be gone." He said bumping her in the arm softly.

"I think I'll come, it'll be a change." She said as she put a hand on her hip and grimaced at a slight pelvic cramp she felt. She ignored it and watched as Alex was turning away from her with a shy smile, she noticed he did that when he didn't want to tell her something. He would get shy and turn away from her.

"I'll see you there then." He said as his speaker over his chest went off and he rolled his eyes as she laughed.

* * *

Norman sat in the motel working when his phone rang and he looked from the computer and answered his phone.

"Hello, Norman?" A British man spoke on the other line and Norman felt himself become slightly giddy, but he remained calm.

"Yes, this is he."

"Hello, Norman Bates, this is Philip Fenton, I just wanted to call you regarding your admission to Cambridge University, I wanted to let you know that you've been selected for the scholarship to study at are school." The British man congratulated him very politely unlike what he'd heard in American Movies of being accepted into Harvard. He stood quiet before regaining his composure.

"Thank you, I am very grateful that you have given me this wonderful opportunity to study under your school curriculum system and to be given the chance to study in England. It's culturally enriching." He thanked the Philip over the phone as the man discussed with him about how the whole process would work and when he would be expected to arrive and such. Norman had been saving up from working the Silverstein's Pet Supply Store and he'd even opened his own bank account thanks to Dylan. He hadn't told anyone he'd applied to Cambridge University because after he'd graduated from high school, he hadn't held any real plan of the future, but came around to a scholarship being offered from England to study Language and Culture.

He went to the backroom where papers were being printed that Philip had sent to him as instructions and other important stuff to read. He stacked them together and ordered them with color pins, he noticed Emma approaching with her orange 60's Volkswagen buggy.

"Hey, Norman." She greeted him as she walked in with her O2 tank and large scarf and layers, the cold was a tough time with someone of her condition and this winter would be very cold, but she'd received news of her name being moved up the list for a new set of lungs.

"Hey, Emma, have you heard anything back from the hospital?" Norman asked as he remembered Emma mentioning to him about her name being moved up the list and the possibility of getting a phone call to schedule the date for a lung transplant.

"Not, yet, but I'm just being hopeful." Emma replied as she sat down in the back room and opened the computer and typed away.

"Have you decided what school to go to?" He heard Emma ask and his pupils dilated, he hadn't told anyone about the scholarship he'd applied for and attained, but Emma was his friend and her father was actually from there and Norman had learned a lot from Emma's father. He turned to face her and walked into the back room and stood in front of the desk.

"I got accepted to study at Cambridge University in England." He said feeling as is a huge weight had been lifted of him and he awaited Emma's reply, but she looked lost for words.

"That's great! Norman. Oh, My God!" She said standing up and going around the desk to hug him as he hugged her back.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked him as he shrugged.

"I don't know. I just didn't want my mother finding out, not yet anyway. Were very close and I feel that it's time I go and be on my own for a while." Norman said as Emma pulled from him.

"I understand. I'm sure she'll be happy to hear the good news." Emma said seriously, Juno barked in reply as she had been beside Norman on the floor when he'd received the call.

"Even Juno agrees with me." Emma said motioning to the pup on the floor who whined in response when Emma reached down to pet her.

"I guess this is what it feels like to grow up." Emma said with a smile as Norman looked lost in thought before returning the smile and putting his arms up in the air.

"I guess it does." He said laughing.

* * *

Dylan was up on the roof putting the lights up with Gunner, they were on the first-floor roof nailing the lights into the wood before setting the Christmas decorations on the porch such as tinsel and bright stars, on the door stood a beautiful wreath and inside the coat area before entering the house stood a mistletoe that Gunner had placed on purpose as a joke.

Norma sat inside peeling potatoes at the kitchen table, the table was full of containers and other cooking materials she was going to use for Christmas, she was preparing the food ahead of time so that all she would have to do is cook it on the day without having to prepare or anything. She threw the peels in the small trash can beside her when she felt some soreness in her chest when turning to throw the peels away, she was reaching a point in the month so she dismissed the anomaly.

"Hey, mom, do you what do you want us to do next?" Dylan said breathing heavy as he and Gunner pulled into the kitchen wet and dirty. They brought mud on there boots which irked Norma, she would have to clean it later and she was feeling slightly fatigued from everything she'd been doing already in prepping the food and bring the heavy groceries up the flight of stairs outside.

"Do the Dining Room." She said as she went back to peeling the potatoes and then tossing the peels in the trash can beside her, Dylan and Gunner went about making the table and placing Christmas themed dishes which were white with a golden lining and a wreath design in the center, they placed red ribbons around the table and tying them neatly before adding some white little lights above the door frame of the room, the dining room was naturally dark due to the floor and wall color being a dark cherry color. They tried to bring out the warmth in the Christmas decorations that Norma had given them, they'd finished the short roof, there was no way they could stretch all around the house.

"Hey Dylan, I'm going to go to that Winter Light's Festival. Do you want to go?" She asked trying to invite him when he and Gunner had finished the Dining Room and were taking a break. He was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a glass of water as he tried to cool down and his shirt was covered in sweat.

"Actually, I have a date." He said and Norma stopped her peeling and set the instrument down and the potato and looked at Dylan with a huge smile.

"No, who is it?" She said with a smile as Dylan chuckled and looked away downing his water.

"Is it Emma?" She asked and he set the glass down.

"Yeah, it is. I asked her." He said as his mother just looked so happy at the announcement of his relationship with the girl who had become a part of their family. Norma had always saw her as the daughter she never had, she adored and loved Emma dearly.

"How did it happen? I want details." Norma asked with curious eyes and he looked down laughing.

"Mom." He blushed shyly as he arose and cleaned his cup before setting it away.

"It just sort of happened. I don't know how, but we just noticed eachother." He said with a love-struck smile as Norma cooed and he swatted his hand at her and went outside.

* * *

Norma was taking a nap on the couch as she had started to feel the fatigue from preparing so much food on her own for Christmas that was on Sunday and then also cleaning the house from when Dylan and Gunner tracked in mud and stunk the place up with sweat. It was chilly outside too and she had to open a few windows to get the smell to go away.

She felt so peaceful on the couch, it felt as if she had layed on clouds, she had been asleep for a good 2 hours before her phone started ringing and she whipped awake. There was drool on the side of her mouth and a huge wet mark on the small pillow she was resting her head on, she wiped her mouth and looked to the wooden coffee table where her phone vibrated and rang at the same time.

"Hello?" She said groggily as she hadn't read the number of the caller, she was rubbing her eyes awake and let out a silent yawn.

"Hello, Norma?" A woman's voice said curiously as Norma nodded.

"Yes, this is she."

"Hi, it's me Annika." Annika greeted as Norma quickly woke up from her daze and stood up straight sitting on the couch and Dylan flinched as he saw his mom quickly shoot up, he was going to wake her up since she said to wake her up in an hour, but he'd forgotten.

"Annika, hey, listen I wanted to ask you about the Room 11, incident?" Norma said nervously as she Dylan standing there, she swiped her hand for him to go away and he put his hands up in defense before retreating upstairs where he was getting ready for a bath after he and Gunner had finished putting up the decorations around the motel and patching up the wall to a certain degree before calling it a day; Gunner had gone back home.

"I can talk to you about it, but I can't do it over the phone. We have to meet in person." She said and Norma looked a bit confused.

"Why?"

"I'm not in an area where I can talk about this, listen I can meet you in a couple of weeks when I'm back in White Pine Bay." Annika said with a serious tone in her voice which scared Norma as she looked concerned.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes I am. I'll see you in a couple of weeks, but Norma stay away from town." Annika said as she disconnected leaving Norma confused and concerned. She looked at the phone before putting it back on the table.

"Hey, mother, is it true were going to the Winter Light's Festival?" Norman said walking into the house from the OFFICE, he had rosy cheeks as he shut the door behind him and Norma layed her head back on the pillow.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Yeah were going, go start getting ready we'll be leaving in an hour." Norma said as she shifted and arose from the couch going upstairs with Norman behind her.

"Dylan!" She shouted slamming her fist on the bathroom door.

"What?" He shouted back in question.

"Why did you not wake me up sooner, it's dark outside already." She whined as Dylan rolled his eyes and got out of the bathtub from where he'd been relaxing.

"I forgot, Norma."

She hit the door one last time before going to her room and picking out an outfit to where for the night in town. Norman was in his room sitting on his bed.

"Aren't things a bit strange?" He heard his mother say, he turned to her from where she sat beside him, he had his clothes in his lap that he would put on.

"No, just you." Norman said as he was unbuttoning his shirt when his mother put a hand on his arm stopping him in his movements.

"There's something strange happening Norman." She said as his mother looked down to her lap. Norman undid his belt.

"Your growing Norman. Soon, you won't need me anymore…" He heard his mother say, he set his belt down and turned to her.

"You know?" He asked her.

"I'm apart of you, you didn't think you could keep it from me, did you?" She said with a sly smile and he pulled down his pants and quickly put on his dress pants.

"I was going to tell you. At the right time." He said as he pulled on his white undershirt and pulled on his yellow dress shirt which his mother buttoned for him.

"Your keeping secrets from me and I'm keeping secrets from you." She said as she buttoned up his shirt and he stared down at her confused.

"Sometimes it's good to because there is a time when you can tell the truth or that the truth may be too frightening to hear so it's better to not know." He told his mom.

"All philosophical on me, is that what the Brits have been teaching you?" She joked which he lifted an eyebrow at.

"It's just something I've learned recently after everything that's happened to us. Sometimes it's better off not knowing." Norman said as his mom tied his black tie around him and his brother walked in the room.

"You good, Norman?" Dylan had heard his brother talking and he walked in to find Norman tying his tie and talking to himself.

"I was just talking to mother about how sometimes it's good to lie." Norman said finishing up his tie and straightening out his dress jacket. Dylan handed him a large red and yellow scarf.

"What's this?" Norman asked looking at the scarf.

"It's an early Christmas present." Dylan said with a smile handing the familiar scarf to Norman who held it in his hands examining it.

"Is this from the Harry Potter movies?" Norman questioned as he gave Dylan a certain look as if he were offended.

"Well, yeah, you know with your sudden interest in England. I thought I'd give you something "English"."

"Dylan, this is not anywhere near what "English" is about, but thank you. The thought is what matters." Norman said wrapping it around his neck.

"I think I would be in Slytherin though." Norman said as Dylan laughed.

"Are you boys ready, yet?" Norma shouted from the other room as she came stomping down the hall way wearing a grey coat with cloudy hat that puffed upward. She looked very beautiful even though she felt kind of tired from her long nap.

"What are you wearing around your neck, Norman?" Norma questioned him swaying her hand in question with slight disgust on her face.

"Dylan's love for me, apparently." He said flinging the scarf upward before it fell back down on his dress jacket. She looked to Dylan with her eyebrows raised in shock, he'd never gotten Norman a gift before.

* * *

The town was beautifully lit, there were bright white lights that resembled that of snowflakes, there were beautiful decorative trees, there were people bustling about as holiday music was being played and children laughing as they ran after eachother and played games.

Alex stood in nice blue suit as he went for the image, he didn't care much for parties, he was quiet man who minded his own business, but as Sheriff it was important for him to gain the trust of the townspeople and indeed they adored Alex. He was talking with a couple who were discussing his re-election and how the new bypass was a neat feat to have because it brought many new stores they'd have to drive hours to Portland to purchase certain items. He agreed, but he knew a certain person would definitely not agree and he saw that person strolling to him with a white umbrella with white lights around it.

"Excuse me." He said to the couple as he watched her walk and look at all of the stands and her curious smile at each little thing she found amazing. She glowed with beauty and he approached her, but then he saw someone behind her who had red familiar hair.

"Norma." Rebecca greeted Norma a bit in shock when she'd seen the blonde walking down the street in such a beautiful coat. It was like seeing a ghost and she felt her heart race as she couldn't believe her eyes. She immediately went to her and reached out desperately to see if it was the woman who she thought to be dead.

"Rebecca." Norma said as Rebecca held onto her arm, her eyes were wide as she was surprised to see her after not hearing back from her that night they'd gone to that party and she'd left her there with some strange man. Rebecca wanted her dead, she'd found that out from Alex, but she didn't understand why?

"Norma, there you are. I've been looking for you. Excuse us." Alex said as he quickened his pace and pulled Norma softly towards him and she followed staring at Rebecca with concern before looking back to Alex a bit confused. Rebecca hadn't noticed Alex until now when he'd suddenly appeared and pulled Norma away from her and walked away quickly. George had told her to stay away from him as to not raise suspicion of their involvement in the murder, but now she had to tell George that they'd murdered the wrong person and Norma Bates was still alive.

She looked around holding her cinnamon whisky and went down an alley far from anyone and took out her cellphone and quickly dialed a number. It rang and rang before a man answered a bit annoyed.

"What do you want? I'm having dinner with my family."

"George, she's alive. Norma. I don't know how." She said in a panicky voice as the man on the other side stood still with the phone pressed to his ear, a cold sweat ran down his neck.

"What?"

"I don't know how, but whoever they found in the tidal flats wasn't her, she's alive." Rebecca said as she put a hand to her head in worry and paranoia as she looked around for any passersby.

"Who did you throw off the cliff?" Rebecca asked him as he paced back and forth in the modern bathroom he was in.

"I went to Room 13 where I'd left her, it was far away from any others. No one would have seen me go in or out." He said as he scratched his neck nervously.

"Well she must have walked out." Rebecca sniped at him as he let out a yell of frustration and hit the wall.

"Dammit!"

"Listen, we have some dirt on Alex, were just trying to formulate all of it to make sure he stays locked up for a long time. Forget Norma, it's Alex you're after." He said into the phone after a long silence between them.

"What if something happens? What if they find out?" Rebecca said paranoid as she began to breathe faster blowing out cold air.

"If something happens to me, I have all the information to lock Alex away on a computer chip in my house, it's in my garage in an antique box I got from China." He said seriously as she listened to him and nodded quickly.

"Get to it before he is even able to do anything." George said before hanging up and rejoining his family with a bright white smile and Rebecca stood with watery eyes as she was fearful of being caught.

Down in the festival stood Norma and Alex dancing on the dance floor with other couples and lights that flashed around slowly with a jazz song playing.

"What was that about?" Norma asked after a long silence and getting far away from Rebecca, Alex held Norma's right hand as they danced slowly.

"A person who just seen a ghost." Alex said.

"Ghost?" Norma questioned.

"I don't know yet, but how are you enjoying the festival?" Alex said as he didn't see any reason in talking about Rebecca seeing as he didn't want to scare her in this moment that she stood before him glowing with her beautiful golden curls. She looked at his lips before meeting his auburn eyes and smiling.

"I am now." She said jokingly.

 _When a man loves a woman~_

Alex stared at her longingly and she looked down at lips before meeting his eyes once again and she chuckled.

"What?" She questioned.

"Do you remember when we first met?" He asked her as they swayed to Percy Sledge and Norma laughed.

"Yeah, I remember, my heart stopped." She said jokingly. "I thought you were going to arrest me." She added as he chuckled and looked down to his feet as his cheeks went flushed.

"Isn't it crazy how things have come full circle?" He said and she looked at him in question.

"I don't know if I'd say that, but in this moment, it does feel that there aren't any problems in the world." She said smiling once more and giving Alex a kiss on the cheek and he shut his eyes at the feel of her lips against the side of his face.

 _When a man loves a woman~  
Deep down in his soul~_

Rebecca walked back into the crowd and found Norma and Alex dancing lovingly and she felt sick with jealously. A tear slid down her face.

 _She can bring him such misery~  
If she is playing him for a fool~  
He's the last one to know~  
Loving eyes can never see~_

Rebecca decided that it would bring her great joy to bring Alex down and then finish the job herself with Norma. She was running out of patience every second she stood there watching them dance happily and laugh.

Norman sat down eating a gingerbread cookie, he had lost his mom in the crowd when she'd mentioned going to get some funnel cake, but he thought on the school he would be attending. He was honestly excited, he had never been a person to think about life other than revolving around his mom, but after spending a lot more time with Dylan he'd began to see life in a whole new perspective.

He saw Dylan and Emma chatting and laughing at eachother on their cute little date, Emma was dressed in a cute red coat and Dylan had on his usual leather jacket with a nice scarf which he guessed Emma gave him. He smiled watching his brother decided to get up and go play one of the games for prizes, he entered a raffle and won a prize, nothing big, but it made him happy.

The night was filled with laughter as people were brought together on the Eve of Christmas and they enjoyed the night until the lights went off and people returned home to their warm beds awaiting the morning of Christmas Day where everyone would run down to open there presents and eat Christmas Dinner.

Norma dreamt of her sons running downstairs to the tree that they'd picked out that week and set up with many decoration and little pictures of each of them on it, they had stockings on the fire place with each of their names embroidered on them, and she could see their faces full of happiness and just the day being filled with love and comfort. She saw the visually as little boys, there were grown men, but she saw them as her little boys with rosy cheeks and big curious eyes. She could see dirt on Dylan's cheek since he was always such a tough kid from the beginning and she could see Norman with rosy cheeks as he scanned the room and his dimples formed as he would smile at all the presents while running behind Dylan.

* * *

"Hey Alex." Alex heard his phone ring Christmas morning and he'd answer it to Bob's voice which was a surprise as he hadn't heard back from him since the party last month in November.

"Bob, what a surprise." He said shifting into a seated position on the bed as he looked to his clock and then reached for his watch.

"Surprise indeed. A Christmas present for a Sheriff. I found the guy responsible for the death of the prostitute. His name is George Heldens, he was the lawyer that over saw our agreement with the DEA agent. He was also responsible for giving you a Colombian drug." Bob said as Alex stopped midway pulling up his pants.

"What?"

"It's the truth. I even have proof. I've had it delivered to your office, all you have to do is get him and arrest him." Bob said with a smile on the other side of the phone, he was with holding the information on the woman who Alex slept with. He didn't want to tell him, instead he'd let things unfold naturally for now.

"What of the DEA?" Alex questioned, it would be tricky to arrest George because of his social standing and his knowledge of an illegal drug agreement between a DEA agent who was most likely a mole and between a Sheriff.

"That's where it gets tricky. You can arrest him, but then we'd both get arrested Alex. I've found your culprit, but he is untouchable. I know you know what do. Merry Christmas." Bob said before hanging up leaving Alex with many question on the tip of his tongue when his eyes went to his gun on the bedside table.

He grabbed it.

* * *

 **Things are coming full circle, were reaching a climax. One of them...**

 **I think it best Bob doesn't tell Alex, mainly cause it's kind of like none of his business. I don't think he cares.**

 **Also, George has been identified and Rebecca has found out Norma is alive.**

 **I thought it best to let Norman go away because I think if Norma wouldn't have had him so close to her then he wouldn't have become the way he is in the book like he genuinely is a nice guy and smart, he could've become a an average motel owner and not one who kills his customers. LOL.**

 **Dylan and Emma will have some more face time if any of you are into there coupling. Norma and Romero...they'll have...some ups and downs.**

 **Next Chapter:** Like Father, Like Son


	10. Like Father, Like Son

January

White Pine Bay had been hit with a storm the 2nd week of the new year and snow has piled up on the roadways and the houses including freezing some of the lakes. The storm didn't stop the townspeople from going into town and doing what business they had to do and then retreating back to their warm homes.

The Sheriff was on duty as they had been getting a lot of calls on collapsing trees, cars that were stuck on icy roads, and how some guy in the bar was drinking too much and scaring other patrons. He sighed as he didn't see a reason for his other officers to always call him for misdemeanors or stuff that they could handle without him. At times like these he felt like going back into the Marines and especially after the phone call he got from Bob on Christmas.

"You know what you have to do." Bob had told him.

He was behind the wheel of his SUV and was trying to push the thought out of his mind, he knew that something needed to be done, but he didn't want to kill anyone. He didn't like being a crooked cop, he wasn't but some of the things he did would apply him for one.

He remembered George, he was a tall handsome man, he was one of those people from the wealthy side of White Pine Bay, that stuck closer to successful people than the normal small business owners. They mostly kept to themselves, but that night George had murdered a prostitute and left her for someone to find. He remembered the man who had kept pressuring him into sleeping with one of the prostitutes Bob had scattered around that night, but he'd declined and left. Did he want to frame him?

He drove into the Village after receiving a call on some owner who needed help getting his sign up, it had fallen apparently and the first thing you do is call the police. It wasn't that big of a sign, but it was pretty heavy and not many people were outside due to the harsh weather blowing in, it had stopped snowing which was good, but it was just windy, cold wind.

"You need some help." Alex was friendly as he walked to the husky business owner who shook his hand and thanked him for coming over.

"Yeah, I don't know it fell and I don't want anyone getting hurt from the broken wires, so if we could just put it inside, in the back." The husky man said as he and Alex got on each end and hauled it into the shop and dropped it in the open storage room.

"Thanks Sheriff, here for your troubles." He handed Alex a gift basket which Alex winced at slightly, the holidays were just a time to gain weight, he'd eaten so much he needed to head back to the gym or do some marine drills. He thanked him though and took the cute basket and headed back to his car when he spotted a familiar blonde woman with short curls. She was shivering as she was walking back to her car from the market.

Norma stood putting her tote bags filled with groceries in her trunk, she made sure to stock up enough so she wouldn't have to go back into town until next week when she would go have a new year check up with her doctor.

"Norma." She turned around to see Alex in his SUV, she had missed the black and white car when it would sit in front of the motel. She smiled up at him with her teeth chattering, she had on a big coat and a thick scarf and furry beanie. Her cheeks were flushed red from the cold air, he could barely see her face as the scarf was obscuring most of it.

"Hey, Alex. What's up?" She said putting the last bag in as she huffed from exasperation, she was tired from trying to stay warm and then putting the heavy bags of groceries in. She would have sent Norman or Dylan, but they wouldn't know what to get and they'd probably come back with something that wasn't even remotely food.

"Nothing, just thought I'd say hi." He said with a little wave.

"Do you want something?" She said noticing his tone sounded similar to when she went into his office asking if he could help her get a seat on the council which he rudely declined and threatened her to never ask him again.

"To say hi." He said before driving off leaving her there with her mouth open in question, she just shook her head and went back to slamming her trunk shut before driving home. Alex had been acting too casual around her, he would say and do things she wasn't used to and she wondered what he wanted. Maybe the new year got to him. New year, new him type of thing? Or maybe his re-election was coming up and he wanted to have a good social standing with her so she could vote for him since they would get into disagreements often like on Christmas when she invited him over and he said flat no. She yelled at him on the phone and hadn't talked to him for days, but there he stood saying hi to her as if nothing had happened.

"What a weirdo." She said as she drove down the road when a certain smell whiffed passed her window, since she had her side window down cause the car was getting too steamy and hot. She felt herself hurl, she didn't know why, but it'd made her sick and she pulled to the side of the road and got off her car and threw up her breakfast. All of it.

"Ah. uh…Ugh…" She moaned in pain as she was on her knees as more of her breakfast poured out of her and on the snow.

"This is what I get for eating that bacon a day overdue." She said as she got back in the car after wiping her mouth. She shut the door and started the car when another whiff of nausea came over her and she quickly opened the door, but it was too late and she threw up on herself.

"Good God." She groaned as she looked to her lap.

* * *

The Police Station was slow, there were a few people seated in the waiting room, the receptionist sat on her phone going through social media, the officer behind her clicked through files on the computer in front of him before looking to the papers below him and then back to the screen. A few officers moved around behind them casually, there was no hurry other than the storm raging outside and a message had broadcasted through the town that citizen should remain indoors to the violent nature of the weather and a few injuries that had landed a few people in the White Pine Bay hospital.

In the Sheriff's Office stood the Sheriff of White Pine Bay, Alexander Romero, he was seated at his desk, work had been slow and he stared out of the two large windows to the left of him, he watched the outside storm rage through his dark long lashes as he held a finger to his lip in thought. He looked as the trees bended due to the strength the wind brought on, he looked at the snow that had turned into tiny balls of hail and were crackling onto the cement outside, he could hear the little sounds they made onto the concrete.

He sat with his legs apart under his desk, his hand left was clicking away at a file that sat in front of him with his name on it, his fingers made a typing motion across the blue file folder with several documents inside which Bob had addressed to him. He looked from the window to the folder, he read over his name before he adjusted himself in his seat and sat forward as he opened the file and read the first document. There was a picture of George Helden, he was a Caucasian male, he held a kind smile and calm dark eyes, he was a handsome man with a background that wouldn't raise an eyebrow. He was wealthy and successful. He blinked over minor details as he flipped through the many papers on his life before he came upon the receipts of every prostitute ordered that night at the Arcanum Club, his eyes scanned each of the names and then the room numbers they were assigned to.

The room Alex had gone into sleep was Room 4, but on the receipt Room 4 had been vacant and any person or persons there were not identified or accounted for. He looked to Room 13 which held the dead prostitutes name, he found her file which he had built at the station after he and other officers gathered information on who she was and how she may have died. She had been assigned to Room 13, her suitor had never arrived, but another man had arrived instead by the name of George Heldens who had been identified by a butler.

He read through the evidence which Bob had accounted for him of the room, fingerprints, hair particles, sweat particles, and the weapon which was a Christmas lights wire. The death had been quick and unexpected by the autopsy report, he looked to both George and the prostitutes file, but none of them had ever met, but only that night. He looked at the other pieces of evidence on the Colombian drug they had found in Alex, he looked at the background and nature, but his eyes glanced at a sister drug which had been also on George that night which he received from another party attendant. He looked at the name…

Rebecca Hamilton

"That fuckin bitch…" He whispered as he held the paper to his face and he grabbed his office phone from the receiver and called Bob who answered with a giggle.

"Hello."

"Listen, if you know Rebecca was behind this why haven't you done anything?" He asked harshly to Bob who didn't seem at all fazed by Alex's tone of voice.

"Well, she didn't murder anyone so I don't see what I need to do." Bob said with a chuckle and Alex clasped his free hand into a fist, he looked at the door which was closed.

"She has enough information that can send you to prison for a long time." He said and he didn't hear Bob speak for a while until he heard him clear his throat.

"She's been laundering money for me, I don't think she's stupid enough to try and double cross me." Bob said.

"Well, jealousy can make a lot of people do a lot of crazy things including murder and telling a lot of awful secrets to the wrong people." Alex said sarcastically as Bob sighed over the phone.

"Here's what I'll do, I'll make sure she doesn't say anything and in return you take care of George Heldens." He said already knowing Alex was going to find some way out of having to kill someone, he usually did.

"Bob…" Alex said looking to his door which was still closed.

"Bye." Bob hung up and Alex took the phone from his ear and looked at it for a moment before placing it back on the receiver and staring at it. He sat in his chair in deep thought, he wasn't his father, but yet he was becoming him with each passing day. Each case he would sweep under the rug, every deal he would make, and turn he would make from crime. It made him sick and he got up from his desk, he grabbed his leather jacket and a short scarf, he grabbed his keys and opened the door and turned off the lights to his office.

He slowly walked through the halls in the station, he greeted his fellow officers, he bit down on his jaw as he could hear his on heart beating with each passing moment. He went out the back door and the wind immediately met his face with each thrust, his shielded his face and made haste to his SUV. He opened the glove compartment and found his silencer, he took his handgun from his holster and switched out the guns. He turned on the SUV and pulled out from the police station, he looked to the time on the dashboard.

 **8:16 p.m.**

He closed his eyes for a moment and calmed his breathing as he turned his car into drive and went on the highway, he kept his mind on the task. He drove calmly through the storm and he felt warm in his car from the interior heater.

George Helden's was going to be a hard person to arrest and if Alex even tried then it would bring to light all the illegality that he as Sheriff has done and Alex couldn't have that. When he became Sheriff, he didn't do it cause his father was the previous before him, he did so that he could be better. To be someone people could trust and if his activities would ever surface, he didn't know what he would do.

He felt that this was the only way.

* * *

"Hey mom, how are you feeling? I bought you some medicine." Norman said as he entered his mother's room in his matching pajamas, his mother was lying on her side asleep.

"Mother?" He questioned as he set the bottle down on the bedside table beside her, she hadn't been downstairs in all day only to eat an apple or something light. He had to watch the motel the pass few days which he didn't seem to mind, but he was worried about his mom's health.

"Norman…" She answered sleepily as she slowly woke up with drool falling out of her mouth, Norman noticed the large amount she had secreted onto her pillow. He watched as she slowly opened up her eyes revealing the blue to the lamps warm light. She looked at the clock beside her and she sighed and shook her head.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked him as she slowly sat up.

"For a few hours, you should go see a doctor." He said as she waved her hand at the mention of the doctor and wore a sleepy smile.

"The roads are closed cause the weather is too dangerous, it'll pass, honey." She said with a tired smile and caressed his cheek with her hands and he smiled.

"Okay, mother." He said.

She grabbed her phone from her night stand and Norman made his exit from the room to go to his room and go to sleep. She examined the voicemail she had received from Annika and Alex, she listened to Annika's first.

[Norma I'll be back in White Pine Bay on Saturday, we can meet at the Motel and I'll tell you everything you need to know. Wait for me and stay away from town, there are people after you]

Norma didn't like the sound of her message and it made her nervous, she tried to not get too paranoid, but now she had freaked herself out and was looking at her door and all around her room. She was alone, she clutched on her covers before clicking Alex's message.

[Norma stay away from Rebecca Hamilton and George Helden's, if you see them in town or anywhere near by, I need you to call me or the police. Don't go near town. I'll take care of it. Just trust me]

She had received two messages that had deeply disturbed her, she felt slightly relieved at Alex's message since he seemed genuinely concerned about her wellbeing, but Annika's and his mention of people trying to hurt her did not sit well and she didn't want to spend all day cooked up in the house because some people wanted her dead.

George? She had completely forgotten about him, she hadn't even spoke to him in what seemed like year.

* * *

*PINT*

The gun squeaked as the bullet passed through the silencer and into the head of Bob Paris who fell sideways into the deep ocean. He had been standing looking out into the deep dark ocean telling Alex of how they should become partners and all the things they have done to develop the town's future. Through drug money and lies.

"Like Father, Like Son." Bob had said turning to Alex who shot him, it was what he should have done a long time ago, instead he thought he could handle it. He thought he could handle all of it, but in reality, it was growing too large, it had become something that wasn't what it was when he'd agreed to it. He had lied to himself that he wasn't his father, but instead he was becoming him, accepting bribes and lies. He'd grown tired of the lies and the dirty crimes.

With one bullet, he ended it all.

He watched Bobs surprise and he saw his body hit the water with a large splash, he felt no remorse or sympathy, he puffed out cold smoky air as he threw the gun in the deep ocean and he sank the boat before getting on a small motor boat and speeding back to shore in the dead of night.

He saw no one, he kept his head down and his cold murderous hands in his pockets, he looked up to see his car covered in small white pieces of snow. He opened the door and drove home where he'd immediately been slammed against his front door by a DEA officer, he hadn't even seen them and he turned to look at them with hard eyes.

"What's the meaning of this?" He questioned calmly as one held his hands behind his back and a woman showed up with her hands on her hips.

"You're under arrest for Perjury." She said folding her arms over her chest and he smiled at her through the cold night air.

"You can't prove that." He said shaking his head and locking his gaze with her's.

"It's something. Take him." She ordered the other officers and Alex had been cuffed and sat inside the black SUV where his rights were read to him and the crime he was being held for. They had no idea of the murder he'd just committed or any other before that, none of his crooked activities as Sheriff, but they were holding him on Perjury.

 _Rebecca_

He thought as he bit down on his jaw hard, he looked around outside and he'd spotted her, she was covered up, but he'd noticed her red lips turned upward in a vengeful smile and a red glove waving to him. He shook his head and cursed her in Spanish under his breath as he felt the car take off in motion and the stiffness of his hands bound together by silver.

"You're a tough guy to bring down and even with perjury you'll still walk with all the other crimes you've done." He heard an officer who sat in the front seat say and Alex shook his head, they were giving him 5 years in the state penitentiary, that wasn't as long as what he should really be getting. He should be getting life like his father.

He blinked as he turned to the window to his left and he could see the blue letters, he saw them vibrant and bright as they blinked awake, it read BATES MOTEL and he looked to the red letters that read VACANCY. He looked up to the house in those brief moments that the car drove by, he could see the motel and the house covered in snow, he saw Dylan and Norma's cars parked in the front. He looked up the stairs and then all that was in front of him vanished into the thick trees and the snow that covered the road and forest.

He looked back in front of him and he sat thinking how he was going to get out of this. Norma was in trouble and there was no way he would be able to do anything to stop whatever danger was coming to her…from happening.

"Fuck." He said and the officer to his right responded.

"Yeah, that's what I would be saying in your position."

"Fuck." He answered.

* * *

 **I'm finally going in the direction I wanted to go to in the beginning, but I'm a slow burn type of person, so it seems like no Normero action is happening, but it will...slowly.**

 **Rebecca and George arc is gonna come to an end soon, too. I know I hate both of those fuckers. LOL :(**

 **Thanks for your reviews. Don't worry shy readers, I will continue to still write and finish the story.**

 **Next Chapter:** A Big Surprise


	11. A Big Surprise

Auburn eyes squinted as the humid lights above him flared brightly down on his sweaty face, turning onto his side, arising from the stiff mattress, and placing his face into his hands. A sigh escaped his lips, rubbing his growing stubble with white specks of age.

The room was small, the walls were of white hard bricks, and on the wall stood two photos, one of a man and beautiful blonde woman, the other was of a small boy and an older woman, there was much care put into the photos as they stood evenly side by side. The floor was cold tile, underneath the stiff mattress stood two pairs of shoes, indoor shoes and outdoor shoes, the pairs of prison uniforms were neatly folded in front of the bed on a short desk.

The surface was smooth, the window to the left side of the wall reflected the moonlight upon it until the glaring lights were sprung on, the barred window was the only source of clean air, the air of not being contained. The man was tall and built, his arms were toned as the dressing on him was tight, standing up and grabbing the clothes on the short desk.

"Rise and Shine, boys!" An officer shouted in the corridors, he was on the second floor ringing a bell for the second-floor inmates to wake up and attend to their duties such as cleaning dishes, carpentry, cafeteria, cleaning, welding, etc. The man in the cell was one of the lucky few who were chosen on the even days of the week to do such activities, but there was no hesitation as he slipped on his black shirt with the penitentiary logo on the back and inmate number on his breast, he slipped on his pants and shoes. Standing now face to face with the chubby guard who held a sly smile and unlocked the door.

Uncaging a beast.

* * *

The roads had cleared and the storm had subsided on the Saturday morning that it was, the trees were slowly becoming water as the sun made its way through the clouds and melted the leftover heaps of snow away. The roads were becoming slippery and small pools of lakes, cars were once again meeting their tires upon the rough surface and splashing water over the sides and anyone who was unlucky enough to get caught in such a position.

The BATES MOTEL was slowly being cleaned up by a young teenage boy outside with his scruffy dog dressed in a small yellow raincoat. They were sweeping away debris and throwing away trash that had blown in, there was a grey bin standing in the center near the sign where he would dump the trash and debris. The sun was helping in getting the snow out of the way and after an hour the gravel was once again visible, he squinted at the sun before turning his attention to the motel and seeing his mother in the OFFICE on the computer. Setting the shovel down and wiping his hands on his pants, he walked over surprised to see her.

"Mother? You're feeling better?" He questioned through short breaths as his wavy hair stuck to his forehead from perspiration, his skin was red and pink from sweat and his mother turned her attention from the computer to her exhausted son.

"Norman, go get cleaned up. You smell awful." She said distasteful, clutching her nose shut from the putrid smell he was emitting, he looked confused and raised his armpit which didn't smell too bad.

"Okay, Mother." He obeyed confused as he left the OFFICE with his eyebrows pinched together at what had just occurred, the short dog followed him as his mother turned to the back of the office and grabbed an aerosol can to spray the room with fresh linens scent.

"That smells better." She sighed in satisfaction, straightening her clothes out and turning back to the computer.

"Hey, Norma." Emma arrived dragging in her oxygen tank, she gave Norma a cheerful smile displaying her deep dimples and rosy cheeks from the chilly air that hung after the storm.

"Hey, Emma. How are you?" Norma said smiling to her, looking up from the computer to meet her greet before typing as Emma walked around the front desk and into the back room to her specified desk.

"Oh nothing. I was about to ask you the same thing. Dylan said you've been sick the past week. Is everything alright?" Emma asked as she fiddled with her sleeves and opening the green laptop in front of her, Norma turned to her and slowly stepped into the small back room.

"Just a stomach flu, it passed and I'm feel-." Norma said confidently before she hurled, she made the sound as she felt something coming up and was going to fall out at any moment. She covered her mouth for a moment before it pushed once more and she motioned to Emma who panicked for a split moment and looked around the room for a small trashcan before her eyes landed on one and she quickly handed it to Norma who immediately vomited into it.

Hot tears fell from her eyes as she held the waste bin close to her, she felt her body jerk upward, a lot of pressure shooting upward from her abdomen as the remains of her delicious breakfast exited her body and fell into the dark waste bin.

"Okay…ha….ha…I feel better…" Norma huffed as she wobbled to the sofa chair in the room and carefully sat down with the waste bin in her lap, wiping her mouth with back of her hand as Emma stood in the room concerned.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, of course I-." Another hurl came and she found her face once more in the black abyss, hot tears ran down her cheeks once more as she clutched the small black bin with dear life. The pressure in her abdomen once more lurching forward. It felt painful as the food burned her throat when leaving her lips, after about 1 minute she was fine and leaning back into the chair.

"I don't even know." She replied with a defeated huff, tossing her hand in defeat when setting the bin down and slouching into the chair as Emma handed her a mint.

"Do you think you got food poisoning?" Emma asked as Norma closed her eyes and tried to regain her composure and steady her breathing.

"I ate expired bacon a day overdue several days ago, but it didn't effect Norman or Dylan and they ate it the same day I ate it." Norma said in reply to Emma's question as the young girl looked genuinely concerned for her with a worried expression on her face before it turned to curiosity.

"Maybe your period is coming?" Emma said curiously as this would explain the reason for the vomiting and fatigue Norma had been experiencing the past few days as it was common for some women to experience some amount of nausea on their periods or before. Norma seemed to open her eyes as she thought for a moment and she shot up in her seat quickly, upsetting her stomach and she leaned back to the trash can and vomited once more.

"Emma…check my phone…click on the….My Calendar…App." Norma said in between breaths as she huffed into the bin and Emma quickly went to grab her IPhone and opened to the home screen before finding a pink app. She could hear Norma vomiting her life away into that small bin as she waited for the app to load and out popped a double-digit number of days since her last period which was about two to three months ago, Emma felt a small smile grace her lips as she slowly connected the dots, but she tried to not disrespect Norma in anyway as this could all be a misunderstanding and she could be plagued with some type of unknown virus and could maybe die. Emma shook her head as she started jumping to conclusions and walked over to Norma, standing in front of her clutching the phone.

"What does it say?" Norma asked as a piece of saliva stood outstretched from the bin to her chin and lips, Emma didn't seem to mind the smell or the sound as she was quite familiar with vomiting quite often. (Her disease.)

"Norma, I don't want you to panic," Emma started and Norma pinched her eyebrows in confusion as she looked to the phone before meeting Emma's knowing gaze.

"What is it?" She questioned in a small voice as she relaxed from her vomiting state.

"Your about two to three months late."

"WHAT?" Norma said in disbelief and grabbed the phone from Emma to make sure this was the truth, Emma would never lie to her, but this was not normal. She had skipped a month before, it was quite common for women to skip a month, but two to three months and that alarmed her. Especially, with what had been occurring the last month, her breasts didn't seem to fit in any of her bras and felt very sore whenever she brushed over them or put pressure on them, she had been constipated too, and the vomiting was the number one thing which seemed to ring bells in her mind when she put her hand to her mouth and stared at the floor.

"Norma?" Emma questioned with a small smile, noticing Norma's silence and face of slow realization of the cause to her sickness. She had been silent for the past 2 minutes before slowly turning to Emma who looked at her in question.

"Oh, my God." Was all she said and sat there with Emma.

There was an elephant in the room, Norma was seated on the small grey sofa holding the black waste bin filled with her pancakes and toast from the morning, her legs were together as she stared off into an unknown realm. Emma stood standing beside her with a hand over her oxygen tank and her eyes were focused on Norma's lost expression or what seemed a vacant one. They both knew what the most possible answer was, but neither would say it…

"Hello?" A young woman's voice called from the doorway, the both of them turned immediately to the voice before Norma set the bin down and arising slowly, straightening out her cardigan and sweeping her pants from any dust or remains of vomit.

"Hello." She said cheerfully, licking the mint in her mouth, it radiated throughout her mouth filling it with a cool sensation and she felt her body calming. Her eyes went wide when she noticed the face to the voice.

"Annika!"

"Norma." Annika responded with a casual smile, she was dressed in simple clothes and they stepped outside leaving Emma with a bin full of vomit and an answer that was not being addressed. Norma was in denial.

They were seated apart from eachother on the lounge chairs outside the motel, Annika had greeted Norma and they talked casually before it became more serious.

"So, you know why I'm here?" Annika said solemnly as she folded her hands in her lap and Norma rested her chin on her fist with curious eyes as her friendly smile fell and leaned back into the chair.

"Yeah…so…" Norma trailed off not sure how to begin this conversation about finding a drunk motel owner who sleeps around with random men.

"There are two people who are after you. One is named George Heldens and the second is a woman named Rebecca Hamilton. Do you know these people?" Annika said as Norma looked around to make sure no one was listening and she nodded while scratching her head.

"Yeah, I do."

"Well, Rebecca invited you to the Arcanum Club to arrange your death. George was a decoy to get you away from people, he drugged your drink with this," Annika slipped out a small bottle of white powder like the one Alex had received. Norma examined with concerned eyes before looking up to meet Annika's gaze.

"The plan backfired when your room had been mistakenly occupied by another patron at the club who mistaken you for an escort and George killed the wrong person who looked similar to you that night due to certain arrangements." Annika explained as Norma sat silent trying to intake all this information with the cool air rubbing over her body, shivering at the touch.

"The patron?" Norma felt herself say and Annika's eyes lit up.

"I found you the next day in Room 4 with a man by the name of Alex Romero, he's the Sheriff here in town, but…I did…some…research and he was drugged that night too by George to keep him from disrupting their plan of murder." Annika said and Norma's ears seemed to ring when she said the name of the patron, everything else Annika had said slipped passed her ears and she didn't even seem to hear the fact that he'd been drugged or that in some miraculous way saved her from dying that night by making love to her and possibly being responsible for impregnating her. How Cliché.

"Alex Romero…" She trailed off in disbelief and Annika arose suddenly looking around.

"That's all I know. Norma, stay away from George and Rebecca, they are dangerous people and want you dead. I recommend you talk to Sheriff Romero and make sure he stays with you." Annika said as she pulled out her car keys and snapped Norma from her trance and stood up with concern.

"You're leaving?"

"I have no more business here, with Bob dead…I'll probably go back to school with the money I've saved…" She said with a sad laugh as she went to her car and looked to Norma one last time.

"Goodbye Norma."

The black sports car lit up with a silent murmur, the wheels rustled along the gravel, it moved the small rocks and drove toward the dark road, touching the moist surface before flying down and disappearing past the trees. Norma's blue eyes would never see that car again, not here, not ever, and she would never see Annika again either. She stood there not knowing how to think about all the information, in shock and not knowing the proper action to take. Turning to the OFFICE door she returned inside once more to find Emma in the same spot.

"Were going to make sure this is for real." Norma said and Emma's lips turned upward in a happy smile as she got suddenly excited much to Norma's distaste as she was not partially excited about everything that had happened or was happening. If it had happened differently, maybe, but right now she knew she was going to stomp into that Police Station and beat the shit out of Alex.

"So, what should we do? Do we just go into town and-?"

"No, were going to the Police Station first, I need to beat the shit out of the Hot Shot Sheriff." Norma said angrily grabbing her purse quickly and swinging it over her shoulder when Emma fiddled with her hands ready to deliver news that would not be good.

"Actually, Sheriff Romero was arrested by the DEA a couple days ago, he's in the state penitentiary serving 5 years for perjury, supposedly it's all a misunderstanding. We have a new Sheriff, if you want to beat the shit out of her." Emma said with a small joke at the end as she noticed Norma's anger turn to worry.

"What?"

"Yeah, they took him from his house and everything. It was a really big hit on the town, you know a lot of people really like him and some are saying it's unfortunate how he ended up just like his father." Emma said with a sad tone, she respected the Sheriff, he was kind man who never seemed to have any hidden agenda, never creeped her out like Keith Summers.

"Father?" Norma was confused about this whole matter she hadn't even heard about and small tears were welling in her eyes.

"His father was the Sheriff before him, he was arrested by the DEA for a lot of shady crimes, he wasn't a very good Sheriff from what I've heard, but he's serving life somewhere else. They aren't very close from what I've heard." Emma said as she noticed Norma's mix of emotion and she walked up to her and put a comforting hand on her defeated shoulder.

"I think it best if you hear these things from him then town gossip." Emma said comfortingly and Norma's tears fell before she wiped them away quickly.

"Okay, you're right." Norma said inhaling some fresh air as she nodded and Emma nodded with her as they felt a settlement of the emotions and the elephant in the room was slowly becoming smaller.

"So, should we go into town and-."

"No, were not going into town. I'm not even married. If people see me buying a bunch of pregnancy tests, they're gonna talk. We're going to Portland." Norma said grabbing her sunglasses from her purse and lifting her eyebrow and Emma chuckled at her spy look.

"Okay, totally."

* * *

Sheriff Romero stood thrusting his body side to side, arms swinging back and forth, hard heavy fists meeting a punching bag as it bounced with each punch. Sweat fell from his forehead, the stubble on his chin seemed to have grown the past couple of days he'd been admitted or sentenced rather. The shirt he wore had a heavy dark moist stain on it, the chest, under the arms, and the mid-section between his shoulder blades. His breaths were jagged and angry, no idea of what was happening back in town, he hadn't finished his job…after Bob he was going after George and then Rebecca.

"Ha!" He roared releasing all his energy into the last punch, abdomen tightening from experience and he held onto the punching bag trying to regain his breathing.

No one in the penitentiary knew he was a Sheriff or former Sheriff rather as he hadn't been jumped yet or raped. Although, he was a tall broad man with an intimidating gaze, not many people wanted to mess with him and in the secluded penitentiary most inmates kept to themselves as they were criminals wanted for crimes that weren't just murder. He aired out his shirt when a noise caught his attention.

"Hey." He noticed his lawyer and walked up to him by the gate.

"I'm afraid I don't have good news Alex, but I'm trying everything I can to get you out of here. There holding you on perjury which is the only legal thing they can do, but they don't have enough evidence to support such claims. I'm looking into it. For now, sit tight." His lawyer said with a hard expression, Alex just looked away cursing under his breath. He wanted to get out so that he could go after those two fuckers who landed him in this dog cage and were going to murder someone who was not at all deserving. It was him. Not her.

"Unless by some chance you're going to have a child which dismisses the claims as they would result in the fact you've been in a long relationship with someone else entirely." The lawyer joked as he put his bag under his arm and Alex clicked his tongue in response.

"I don't have any children." Alex said turning from his lawyer and punching the bag releasing his frustration.

* * *

There stood 10 pregnancy test spread out on the sink in the bathroom filled with cubicles, a flush could be heard as an 11th joined the group of all positives. Emma stared at every single one of them, her and Norma stood in a mall bathroom where no one seemed to go in as it was more secluded to the far end of the large shopping center.

"I'm surprised you've managed to pee on 11 tests." Emma said in surprise as Norma had a defeated look on her features, she was slightly happy, but not with the circumstances. She was still in denial and would need some further proof.

"Pregnancy tests aren't always right." She responded and Emma pouted pointing at all of them.

"Well, in case it is, do you want to keep one?" Emma asked and Norma rolled her eyes, she never kept them, she threw them away and they walked out of the bathroom. Emma stood behind her dragging her tank with each stride they made.

"Were going to the drop-in clinic." Norma said as they exited through sliding doors and out into the city, cars bustled by and they made their way to the parking lot.

Later, they were seated in a small room with magazines in front of them on Family Planning, Pregnancy, Children, Mothers, etc. Around them stood other pregnant women and some with newborns or infants, some were crying which was annoying Norma as she tried to fill out the form in her lap. Emma was sitting calmly beside her looking all around the room, never being in such a place, but a possibility in the future with her new pair of lungs that were coming was making it a possibility.

"So, what's gonna happen?" She asked Norma curiously after she arrived back at her seat beside Emma, she folded her purse back in her lap and noticed Emma's curious gaze. The young innocent girl had never had a mother in her life and Norma being the only mother figure for the past two years she felt it only right to tell her even though she was in no mood to play nice.

"Well, the doctor will ask questions on my period and my symptoms, as I'm not visually pregnant then they will do a transvaginal scan which is a long stick that they stick up your-."

"Norma Bates." She was cut off by a nurse as Emma's eyes had grown in horror by what Norma was explaining to her. Norma patted her hand softly and led her to the back following the nurse to one of the rooms with a bed mat and two silver rods for feet placement, beside the bed stood a monitor system with all the tools for an appropriate ultrasound. Emma stood staring all around the room in wonder, Norma stood off to the side undressing quickly and slipping on the gown the nurse had provided before going to the mat and sitting.

"So, like I was saying, they stick it in your vagina to find out if your pregnant." Norma finished as Emma turned from a poster on the wall of the stages of pregnancy, there was a small fetus before becoming fully developed with the stomach growing bigger and bigger.

"Do you have any photos of when you were pregnant?" Emma asked when she pointed at the poster and Norma followed her gaze from where she sat on the bed mat waiting for the doctor.

"No, I hadn't thought to." Norma replied sadly looking to her hands and Emma put a comforting hand on her back. The door clicked open and Emma released her hand back to her side, a tall kind man walked in with a clipboard he had on a very kind smile.

"Hello, how are you doing?" He asked as he grabbed the MD chair and rolled it to Norma's legs, she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Well," She said sarcastically. "I've taken about 11 pregnancy test today and I want to see if this is for real." She finished diving right in to the root of the reason for the visit, the doctor raised his eyebrows in response as he chuckled.

"I see. Desperate to find out, huh?" He said kindly as Emma and Norma laughed nervously in response.

"Well from what you've mentioned here in your paper, it does seem that you do exhibit signs of early pregnancy and you've been pregnant before, but-."

"It's been awhile." Norma answered with a shy smile.

"That's perfectly normal. There is nothing to be embarrassed about, having a baby is a wonderful thing no matter what age." The doctor said and Norma seemed to relax, feeling calmer about this whole situation unfolding before her, all the other dangers at home slipping her mind. Getting out of the house is what she needed and she made a note to get out more often, away from town that is.

"Okay, well, let's see if we can find a surprise inside." He said which Emma found funny and she snorted, Norma leaned back on the mat and place both her feet on the rods looking up to the lights that illuminated her light blue eyes. The doctor went over to turn off the lights and her eyes were faced with the disappearing of electricity when her attention turned to her right where the monitor stood lit up. She heard the noise of the gel squeaking out onto the white plastic stick, Emma noticed Norma's discomfort when it entered and she held Norma's hand when they both looked to the monitor.

"Okay, let's see if there's a surprise." The doctor said as he moved slowly and on the screen popped a black and white figure flickering, it was the size of a small cherry and it blinked.

There it was. The surprise.

"A Big Surprise." Norma said when she looked at the small body and the little heart that flickered on the screen, the doctor explained the head, arms, and legs had already begun to form and it was now a fetus, he pointed to the head which Emma cooed at and the little tiny hands which were barely visible.

"I'd say your around almost 10 weeks, just finishing your 9th week by the size of the fetus, I'll go print out some pictures for you and fill out a report for your doctor. I recommend you go see your primary doctor and then follow through with finding a Gynecologist or Midwife, whatever you prefer and going from there. Congratulations." He said with a happy smile as he slowly removed the stick from Norma who sat up on the bed and Emma stood with a happy smile.

"Oh, my God, Norma." She said with a rising tone of happiness in her voice.

"Yeah, oh my god." Norma said in response turning to look at her with a crazed smile. It had hit her, that this was real, in about 7 months now she would be giving birth. She felt happy, but also upset at the same time because Alex had not even mentioned to her that he had tooken advantage of her, but she couldn't really remember that night, but a part of her knew that…the person she was with was someone she knew and someone she wanted. And it was Alex.

"Were going to the state penitentiary." Norma said getting off the bed and going to put on her clothes and Emma scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"Why? You want to tell Sheriff Romero?" Emma said before it hit her and she let out a slow "oh" sound and Norma finished dressing.

"Were about to go and make him the happiest man in the world or the unluckiest." She said with a determined smile as she adjusted the strap of her purse over her shoulder, Emma nodded in agreement, it was always such fun to go on adventures with Norma she always managed to surprise her with the craziest things. Norma grabbed her papers and the ultrasound pictures of the baby with its little head and phalanges and whatnot.

Norma was a mom on a mission when she got in her car, Emma dragged the tank with her and stared at the photos of the baby when they headed on the highway driving up to the state penitentiary, what a place to be after finding out you're going to be a mom again.

 _But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good~_

 _Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood~_

The radio softly played Nina Simone, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, Emma waved her head to the song as the car hummed calmly. Emma looked through each of them, the doctor had printed out 5 of them, each had different angles of the baby, you could see it's little body, it's little hands clutched together and its little legs.

"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" Emma asked as Norma clicked her tongue in response and looked out at the road before looking at her front mirror.

"It's too early to tell, but by the amount of boys I have and with Alex being the terminator, I wouldn't be surprised if I have another boy." Norma said shrugging as she looked to her mirror before a sign passed by on the road reading the miles left.

"I know, but would you want a girl?" Emma asked curiously and Norma looked to her before looking back to the road.

"Of course, I would be happy with either. Although, it would be nice to have a girl. Boys can be a lot to handle. Especially if I have 3." She said laughing and Emma laughed in unison.

* * *

Alex stood in his room sitting at his desk reading, that was what he was doing in his free time, reading, getting right with lord, it was one way to keep him from losing his mind. He closed the book in his hands and looked to the picture of his mother on his wall, he felt as if he'd disappointed her by ending up in the dog cage just like his father. He closed his eyes before leaving his cell and going down to the wood work, he walked in and strapped on the necessary equipment. He set about measuring large planks before taking them to the table saw and running them through until he noticed a guard flagging him down. He shut off the table saw and put his equipment back.

"Yeah." He said looking the officer in response and the officer pointed to the door.

"You have a visitor." Alex squinted as he was confused, he didn't know anyone would visit him and followed the officer through the buildings before landing in the main entrance waiting room area where the officer released him. He scanned the room and his eyes landed on a blond woman with short curls seated at a table with a worried expression, he noticed Emma in the corner by the snack machines obviously giving Norma privacy which was much appreciated.

He quickly walked over to her, his eyes couldn't believe she was there. When he approached the table and her blue eyes looked from her hands to his auburn ones, there was a sense of relief to see eachother and she arose to hug him. There was no touching, but no one seemed to mind, he held her tight, they didn't say anything, he kissed her head and they pulled apart.

"Alex, what happened?" She said softly as her eyes were filled with concern and he sat apart from her folding his hands together on the table. She took notice of his nasty stubble and lack of appearance, he smelled okay which meant he was bathing and he looked in good shape.

"I don't know, Norma. I don't know. They just came out of nowhere." He said in response, letting out a heavy sigh and she kept her gaze with him.

"Alex, I need to ask you a question." She started after a long period of silence, he leaned forward in anticipation awaiting the question.

"Ask away." He said holding a hard gaze as he noticed her eyes leave his and she was doing that thing, that thing she always does when she lies or doesn't know how to tell the truth.

"Do you remember when Rebecca took me to that party…The Arcanum Club?" Norma began noticing Alex's uneasiness about either the mention of Rebecca or The Arcanum Club, she couldn't tell which.

"Yeah." He responded bluntly.

"Were you there?" She asked seriously as she held her gaze with him and he stood silent for a moment, biting down on his jaw and clearing his throat.

"Yeah."

"I…I met with someone who found me there, in the morning after I had been drugged…"

"You were drugged, too?" He asked concerned and arose slightly, not catching the fact he said "too" and Norma stared at him confused when she remembered what Annika had said about him being drugged as well to be kept out of the way.

"Too?" She said as the deep pit in her stomach was slowly rising with anger and nostrils slowly flaring as she cocked her head in question as he took notice of her shift in attitude. Leaning back in his chair and turning around to make sure the guards were far away or that no one had noticed the rising tension between them.

"It doesn't matter. All I know is that I was and I don't know why, but what happened Norma?" Alex dismissed her burst of questions, trying to get to the bottom of what happened to Norma that night, but she was hesitant to say anything. She kept her lips in a thin line and fiddled with the straps of her purse before he heard her lips purse.

"Do you remember sleeping with anyone that night?" She said meeting his auburn eyes once more that were filled with concern before it all diminished and he turned away in shame.

"I don't remember, but I suppose I did." He answered softly and she let out a heavy sigh and turned to Emma who was giving her a comforting look and motioning for her to just tell him, but in reality, every fiber of her being was keeping her from beating the shit out of him and throwing him down from where he sat and cursing him for doing this to her.

At least buy her a drink first.

"You don't remember who you slept with?" Norma mocked as Alex was beginning to get annoyed with antagonizing questions that were leading nowhere.

"No, I don't…God-Norma." He stuttered when she began glaring at him and wasn't going to stop until he told the truth, but he couldn't remember. Bits and Fragments.

"It was a blonde woman with blue eyes, very common amongst Bob's selection." Alex finished quickly not wanting to look her in the eye, but she didn't say anything.

"What if there was one unaccounted for?" Norma said after a long silence between them and Alex looked from the table to meet Norma's calm blue eyes that were slowly welling with tears. He shook his head slowly, connecting the dots, the voice, the face, it was her, he had taken advantage of her in such a state and he lowered his balled fists on the table, unfolding them and reaching out to touch her hand which she pulled away looking at him with disappointment.

"I didn't know…Norma, please, I…" He said not knowing how to reach out to her when she slowly arose from the table with a small tear falling from her face and the sound of sniffling. Her hand made its way into her purse, shifting around through contents before coming upon the silk photograph and she slammed it out on the table alarming everyone in the room with the sudden sound.

She wasn't willing to hear anymore, she was upset, and hormonal, this whole situation didn't happen the way it should have. It had happened horribly, like everything in her life always did and she slammed the photo down in defeat.

"Congratulations." She said before walking away before he could say anything, her heels clicking away was all that could be heard. His eyes scanned the photo, realizing what it was and turned to see her walking away with shoulders down in defeat and he traced his fingers along the silk surface. In the center was a small tiny body with a little head, arms, and legs. His breathing stopped for a moment when he lifted it up to get a better look at it and the prison guard came to get him.

"I'm going to be a father."

* * *

 **FINALLY! I'M WHERE I ACTUALLY PLANNED FOR THIS STORY TO GO!**

 **THERE IT IS! SHE'S PREGNANT!**

 **She has a bit mixed feelings towards Alex because of what happened and the way it happened. Alex will find his way back to her though and his baby.**

 **Thanks for your reviews and critiques. They are very helpful! ^ ^**

 **Next Chapter:** Daddy's Home


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